TECHNICAL REPORT WA/90/19 Geology and land-use planning: Morpeth-Bedlington-Ashington

Part 2 GEOLOGY

D J D Lawrence and I Jackson

BRITISH GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

TECHNICAL REPORT WA/90/19 Onshore Geology Series

Geology and land-use planning: Morpeth-Bedlington-Ashington

Part 2 GEOLOGY

1:lOOOO sheets NZ28NW, NW, SW, SE and NZ38NW, SW

Parts of 1:50000 geological sheets 9 (Rothbury), 10 (Newbiggin), 14 (Morpeth) and 15 (Tynemouth) D J D Lawrence and I Jackson

This study was commissioned by the Department of the Environ- ment, but the views expressed in it are not necessarily those of the Department

Maps and diagrams in this book use topography based on Ordnance Survey mapping

Geographical index UK, England, Northumberland

Subject index Quaternary, Carboniferous

Bibliographic reference Lawrence, D J D, and Jackson, I. 1990. Geology andland-use planning: Morpeth-Bedling- ton-Ashington. Part 2: Geology. British Geological Survey Technical Report WAf9Ol19

0 NERC copyright 1990 Keyworth, NottinghamBritish Geological Survey 1990 BRITISH GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

The full range of Survey publications is available through the Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG Sales Desks at Keyworth, Murchison House, Edinburgh, and at e Plumtree (06077) 6111 Telex 378173 BGSKEY G the BGS London Information Office in the Natural History Fax 06077-6602 Museum, Earth Galleries. The adjacent bookshop stocks the more popular books for sale over the counter. Most BGS books Murchison House, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3LA and reports are listed in HMSO’s Sectional List 45, and can be 031-667 1000 Telex 727343 SEISED G bought from HMSO and through HMSO agents and retailers. e Fax 031468 2683 Maps are listed in the BGS Map Catalogue and the Ordnance Survey’s Trade Catalogue, and can be bought from Ordnance London Information Office at the NaturalHistory Museum, Survey agents as well as from BGS. Earth Galleries, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London SW7 2DE The British Geological Survey carries out thegeological survey of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the latter as an agency 071-589 4090 Fax 071-584 8270 service for the government of Northern Ireland), and of the e 071-938 9056/57 surrounding continental shelfj as well as its basic research projects. It also undertakes programmes of British technical aid 19 Grange Terrace, Edinburgh EH9 2LF in geology in developing countries as arranged by the Overseas e 031-667 1000 Telex 727343 SEISED G Development Administration. St Just, 30 Pennsylvania Road, Exeter EX4 6BX The BritishGeological Survey is a component body of the e Exeter (0392) 78312 Fax 0392-437505 Natural Environment Research Council. Bryn Eithyn Hall, Llanfarian,Aberystwyth, Dyfed SY23 4BY e Aberystwyth (0970) 611038 Fax 0970-624822

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Parent Body Natural Environment Research Council Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon, Wiltshire SN2 1EU s Swindon (0793) 411500 Telex 444293 ENVRE G Fax 0793-411501 PREFACE

Thisreport, the second of twopresenting the results of asurvey of the geology of the Morpeth-Bedlington-Ashington district, describes the geology of the area in detail. A separate volume, Part I, reviews the geological factors relevant to land-use planning and development.

Thedistrict is coveredby 1:lO 000 sheets NZ 28 NW, NE, SW, SE and NZ 38 NW, SW and lies within 150 000 geologicalsheets 9 (Rothbury), 10 (Newbiggin), 14 (Morpeth)and 15 (Tynemouth).The district was firstsurveyed at the six-inch scaleby H.H. Howell and W. Topley and publishedon Northumberland Old MeridianCounty maps between 1867 and 1879. A resurveyby G.A. Burnett, V.A. Eyles and A. Fowlerbetween 1929 and 1950 was published on the New Meridian.

The present survey, which was funded jointly by the Department of the Environment and the BritishGeological Survey, revised the geologicalmaps andprepared thematic maps designed for use byplanners and developers. It was undertakenbetween 1986 and 1989 by I. Jackson (NZ 28 NE, SE, NZ 38 SW) and D.J.D. Lawrence (NZ 28 NW, SW, NZ 38 NW).

Mr P.J. Brandprovided biostratigraphic contributions. Mr P.J. Robsonadvised on the establishment of thecomputerised borehole database and together with colleagues in the BGS Informationand Central Services Unitand NERC Computing Services providedinvaluable assistance incomputer techniques. The programme managers were Dr. D.J. Fettes (BGS) and Mr. H. Mallett (DOE).

Uncoloured dyeline copies of the 1:lO 000 geological sheets may be obtained through the BGS Maps Sales Department.

F.G. Larminie, QBE, Director British Geological Survey Keyworth Nottingham, NG12 5GG January 1990 EXPLANATORY NOTES Areasgeneralized beenof have working from large scale mine plans, whichshould Data used inpreparing this report and beconsulted fordetailed information (see associated maps are lodged at the Newcastle Appendix). Seam isopachs are based on uponTyne office of theBritish Geological computer analysis of borehole data and refer Survey.Any enquiries concerning these tothickness of coalonly, dirt bandsare documents should be directed to that office. excluded.Interval and sandstone thickness diagrams are also generalized from computer Reportsare alsoavailable forthe following znalysis of boreholedata. While providing 1:25 000 sheets: an indication of geologicalconditions likely tobe encountered, this report cannotand NZ 15: Chopwell,Rowlands Gill, should not replacesite-specific surveys Consett and Stanley aimedat evaluating potential resources or NZ25: Kibblesworth, Birtley,Craghead hazards. and Chester-le-Street The maps were constructed in May 1989, no NZ27: Cramlington,Killingworth and informationsubsequent tothat date has and Wide Open been taken into account. NZ 17E & 18E: Ponteland-Morpeth CONFIDENTIALITY All National Gridreferences in this report Confidentialdata, chiefly British Coal lie withinthe 100 kmsquare NZ. Grid Opencast Executive prospecting information, referencesare given to either eight figures has beentaken into account and used in a (accurate to within 10 m), or six figures for generalizedway during the preparation of more extensive locations. the geologicalmaps andthis report, but Eachborehole shaftor registered with BGS details of specific boreholes arenot is identifiedby a four-elementcode (e.g. individuallyquoted. NZ 28 SE58). Thefirst twoelements definethe 10 kmsquare (of theNational Grid) in which the borehole is situated;the thirdelement defines the quadrant of that square, andthe fourth is the accession number of that borehole.In the text of the reportborehole/shaftthe is normally referred to by the last threeelements alone (e.g. 28 SE 58).

Theword 'district' unqualified,thisin account means the whole ground covered by NZ 28NW, NE, SW, SE andNZ 38 NW and SW. LIMITATIONS Thisreport and accompanying mapshave been produced by collationthe and interpretation of geological and related data from a widevariety of sources.However, the data are not comprehensive and do vary inquality. It is inevitablethat this will be reflected inthe documents presented; local featuresandconditions maynot be represented and manyboundaries may be approximate.

The mapsCoalof Measures stratain Figures 8 to 8Figures 74 beenhave computer-generatedfromdigital data. CONTENTS Kirkby’sMarine BandRyhope to Marine Band 97 EXECUTIVESUMMARY 3 Strata above the Ryhope Marine Band 100 INTRODUCTION 7 IGNEOUSROCKS 102 Objectives 7 Geographicalsetting 7 STRUCTURE 104 Datasources and methodology 7 GEOLOGICALSUMMARY 8 QUATERNARY 106 Rockhead UPPER CARBONIFEROUS 106 Till 106 GENERAL IO Laminated silt and clay I06 Introduction 10 Alluvium 108 Classification 10 Marine and Estuarine alluvium 108 Depositionalsetting 10 Marine Beach and Tidal Flat deposits 108 Sedimentology 12 Blown sand 108 GeneralStratigraphy 14 Peat 108 Seam nomenclature 15 MadeGround 108 MILLSTONE GRIT 18 REFERENCES 110 Strata below theSubcrenatum Marine Band 18 APPENDIX:List of BritishCoal Mine Abandonment Plans in Survey Area. I 12 COALMEASURES 20 Baseof CoalMeasures to Marshall FIGURES Green Seam 20 1. LocationDiagram 6 MarshallGreen to Victoria 25 2. Solid Geology 9 Victoria to Brockwell 27 3. Generalizedvertical section I I Brockwell to Three-Quarter 30 4. Keyfor figures of verticalsections 15 Three-Quarterto Bottom Rusty 35 5. Distribution of collierycompanies 16 BottomBusty to Top Busty 37 6. Millstone Grit sections 19 Top Busty to Beaumont 41 7. Base of CoalMeasures Marshallto Beaumont Seam to Harvey Marine Band 48 Green,sections HarveyMarine Band to Bottom Plessey 21 8. MarshallGreen Seam, map Seam 22 51 9.Marshall Green Seam toVictoria Seam Bottom Plessey to Plessey 55 Plessey to Northumberland Low Main (i) 23 58 10. MarshallGreen Seam toVictoria Seam Northumberland Low Main to Durham LowMain (ii) 24 61 11. MarshallGreen Victoria to Seam, Durham Low Main to Bensham 67 Sections Benshamto Yard 25 71 12. Victoria Seam, map Yardto Bentinck 26 73 13. Victoria Seam to Brockwell Seam, Relations of coalseams between the sections Bentinck Seam andtheHigh Main 27 14. Victoria Seam to BrockwellSeam, map Marine Band 28 77 15. BrockwellSeam, map Bentinckto Five-Quarter 29 78 16. Brockwell Seam Three-Quarterto Five-Quarter to Metal 81 Seam, map Metalto High Main 31 84 17. Brockwell Seam Three-Quarterto HighMain Seam to HighMain Marine Seam, sections Band 32 87 18. Three-Quarter Seam, map HighMain Marine Band to Moorland 33 19. Three-Quarter Seam to Bottom Busty Seam 90 Seam, map Moorland to RyhopeLittle 34 91 20. Three-Quarter Seam toBottom Busty RyhopeLittle to Ryhope Five-Quarter 95 Seam, sections 35 RyhopeFive-Quarter to Rowlington 96 21. BottomBusty Seam, map 36 RowlingtontoKirkby’s Marine Band 97

1 22. Bottom Busty Seam to Top Busty Seam, 60. Five-Quarter Seam, map 79 sections 37 61. Five-Quarter Seam to Metal Seam, map 80 23. Bottom Busty Seam to Top Busty Seam, 62. Five-Quarter Seam to Metal Seam, map 38 sections 81 24. Top Busty Seam, map 39 63. Metal Seam, map 82 25. Top Busty Seam toBeaumont Seam, 64. Metal Seam to High Main Seam, map 83 map 40 65. Metal Seam Highto Main Seam, 26. Top Busty Seam toBeaumont Seam, sections 84 sections 41 66. HighMain Seam, map 85 27. Top Busty Seam to Tilley Seam, map 42 67. HighMain Seam toHigh Main Marine 28. Top Busty Seam Tilleyto Seam, Band, map 86 sections 43 68. HighMain Seam to HighMain Marine 29. TilleySeam, map 44 Band,sections 87 30. Tilley Seam to Hodge Seam, sections 45 69. Ashington Seam, map 88 31. Tilley Seam to Hodge Seam, map 46 70. HighMain Marine Band to Moorland 32. Beaumont Seam, map 47 Seam, map 89 33. Beaumont Seam Harveyto Marine 71. HighMain Marine Band toMoorland Band, map 49 Seam, sections 90 34. Beaumont Seam Harveyto Marine 72. MoorlandSeam, map 92 Band,sections 50 73. Moorland Seam to Ryhope Little Seam, 35. Harvey Marine Band to Bottom Plessey, sections 93 sections 51 74. Moorland Seam to Ryhope Little Seam, 36. Harvey Marine Bandto Bottom Plessey map 94 Seam, map 52 75. RyhopeLittle Seam to TopRyhope 37. Bottom Plessey Seam,map 53 Five-Quarter Seam, sections 95 38. Bottom Plessey Seam to Plessey Seam, 76. TopRyhope Five-Quarter to Kirkby’s map 54 MarineBand, sections 96 39. Bottom Plessey Seam to Plessey Seam, 77. Kirkby’sMarine Band Ryhopeto sections 55 Marine Band,sections 99 40. Plessey Seam,map 56 78. Strataabove the Ryhope Marine Band, 41. Plessey Seam toNorthumberland Low sections I 01 MainSeam, map 57 79. Tholeiitedykes 103 42. Plessey Seam toNorthumberland Low 80. Structure contours and faults 105 MainSeam, sections 58 81. Drift geology 107 43. MainBroomhill Seam to 82. Rockhead elevation I 09 Northumberland Low Main Seam, map 59 44. Northumberland Low Main Seam, map 60 TABLES 45. NorthumberlandLow Main Seam to Durham Low Main Seam, map 62 1. Presentation of results 4 46. NorthumberlandLow Main Seam to 2. Zonalclassification of the Westphalian 13 Durham Low Main Seam, sections 63 3. Coalseam nomenclature in the district 16 47. Durham Low Main Seam, map 64 48. Durham LowMain Seam toBensham MAPS Seam, map 66 1: 10 000 scale standard geologicalmaps 49. DurhamLow Main Seam to Bensham (available separately) Seam,sections 67 50. Bensham Seam, map 68 NZ 28 NW Pegswood 51. Top BenshamSeam, map 69 NZ 28 NE Ashington 52. Bensham Seam to Yard Seam, map 70 NZ 28 SW Nedderton 53. Bensham Seam to Yard Seam, sections 71 NZ 28 SE Bedlington 54. YardSeam, map 72 NZ 38 NW Newbiggin 55. Yard Seam to Bentinck Seam, sections 73 NZ 38 SW Blyth 56. Yard Seam toBentinck, map 74 57. BentinckSeam, map 75 COVER PHOTOGRAPH 58. Bentinck Seam to Five-Quarter Seam, map 76 Hawk’s Cliff, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea 59. Bentinck Seam toFive-Quarter Seam, sections 78 Taken by Mr T Bain, BGS Photbgraphic Unit

2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OBJECTIVES INTRODUCTION Thedetailed objectives of thefull study The Morpeth-Ashington-Bedlington area were: forms part of the Northumberland Coalfield. Coal mining and its decline has left a legacy of reclaimedand unreclaimed spoilheaps, a) To complete,where necessary, new basic uncharted oldworkings, subsidence and field geologicalmapping of thestudy area abandonedshafts. Large areas of variably and produce revised maps at 1:lO 000 scale. restoredopencast coaland brick clay workings are equally common. Resources of coal andindustrial minerals remain, despite the long history of mining and quarrying. Tob) collect,evaluate andinterpret available informationon geology, Thesearch for mineralresources, their geotechnicalproperties, ground conditions, subsequentextraction and, morerecently, geomorphology and hydrogeology. siteinvestigations prior development,to haveprovided a wealth of geological informationnot available when thedistrict was last surveyed. When setagainst this c) To organise the information obtained into backgroundthe need for acomprehensive a database /archive. andup-to-date survey on the geological environment is readily apparent.

Thisstudy was thereforeundertaken to d) To present basic data and interpretations examine and upgrade the geological database for selectedparts of thestudy areas as andassociated datasets andpresent the thematic maps and accompanying reports in results ina form to aid planners, engineers a form easilyunderstood by planners and and geologists. Twosets of maps and othersnot trained in geology, mining, civil accompanying reports have been prepared: engineeringorrelated disciplines (results published in Part I).

Part I (BGS TechnicalReport WA/90/14, e) To identifytheneed forfurther publishedseparately): A series of investigations or specialist advice in relation ten thematic maps atthe 1:25 000 to specificplanning anddevelopment scale with an. explanatorytext (see objectivesand proposals(results published Table 1). in Part I).

Part I1 (thisreport): An explanatory text for aseries of sixgeological maps at theat 1:lO 000 scale(available separately). METHODOLOGY Thework involved collationthe and interpretation of datafrom many different sources:- aspecially commissioned 1: 10 000 Thestudy was fundedjointly by the scale field geological survey, coal Department of theEnvironment and BGS. explorationboreholes, deepmine and The work was carriedout by BGS staffat opencastcoalabandonment plans, site theNewcastle upon Tyneoffice, with investigationboreholes and reports, existing contributionsfrom staff of the BGS geologicalmaps andmemoirs and other EngineeringGeology, Biostratigraphy and archivalmaterial held by thirdparties. HydrogeologyResearch Groupsat Computeriseddatabases of borehole and Keyworth, Edinburgh and Wallingford. geotechnicalinformation were also established.

3 Table 1 Presentationofresults in 125 000 scalemaps accompanyingthe complementary Part 1, LandUse Planning, Report

MAP TITLE DESCRIPTION

Majorrock units Solidgeology 1 namedcoals, faults

Recentand glacial Drift geology 2 (superficial)deposits

Contoursat 1 Om intervals Rockheadelevation 3 onbedrock surface

Thicknessof superficial deposits Drift thickness 4 contouredat 1 Om intervals

Areasof known, probable 5 Shallowmining andpossible coal mining within 30m ofsurface

lifferentiationof artificial deposits Madeand disturbed ground 6 locationof landfill sites

7 Boreholeand shaft sites Locationof shafts, boreholes, aditsand trial pits

Surfacerocks and solis 8 Engineeringgeology classifiedin geotechnical terms

Mineraland water resources Potentialmineral deposits 9 (excludingcoai) and sitesof extraction

Geological factors Significantelements from 10 forconsideration individualthematic maps in land-usein planning - presentedtogether

4 PRESENTATION OF RESULTS This report provides the first comprehensive description of the geology for much of the southern part of the district and is the first detailedaccount for overhalf a century of the geology theinnorthern part. The wealth of informationavailable hasbeen used to undertake a complete revision of the geological seam-by-seamand maps correlationdistrict.withinthe The biostratigraphy has been compared with that of theadjacent Tynemouth district and, wherenecessary, palaeontological specimens have been re-examined. Emphasis is placed ona description of the UpperCarboniferous stratigraphy, in particular the nature and distribution of the coal seams andtheir intervening strata. Information is displayedseriesasa of diagramsand isopach maps with descriptive text for eachcyclic unit between pairs of vertically adjacent named coals. In the compilation of thereport extensive use has been made of thecomputerised borehole databaseestablished forthe project. All graphicalvertical sections, coal distribution maps and interval thickness maps have been computer-generated.

5 NORTH SEA

- 90

NORTHUMBERLAND\

PO NTE IAND

- 70 i:

NEWCASTLE

KEY AI Major roads Railways

-0-0- County boundaries c-'> Urban area

IRecent BGS survey areas

ASTLE ICurrentsurvey area

0 5 10 km

Scale

Figure 1. Location diagram

6 1 INTRODUCTION generatingplants at Lynemouth and Blyth respectively,industry inthe district is now OBJECTIVES chiefly based onsmall light units inand Thisreport is the second of twodescribing around the urban areas. theresults of researcha project funded jointly by Departmentthe of the Topographically, the east of the district is a Environmentand the British Geological featurelesstill plain relieved only by the Survey (ContractPECD 7/1/241). The incised valleys of therivers Blyth and objectives of the project were to provide an Wansbeck andthe low sandstonehills upon up-to-date geologicaldatabase forthe whichBedlington and North Seatonstand. Morpeth-BedlingtonAshington area as a Inthe west theground is moreundulating foundationfor land-use and development, and,south of Morpeth, risesto over 85 m effectivefuture geologicalresearch andthe abovesealevel. The riversBlyth and safeguarding of mineral resources. PartI Wansbeck, whichdrain thearea, flow (BGS TechnicalReport WA/90/14), eastwardsthrough gorges to meet the coast availableseparately,describes the at Blyth and Cambois. At Camboisthe applications for land-useplanning and coast is adune-fringed sandy baywhich development. The geologicalresults, with separatesthe low rockyheadlands of particularemphasis on thestratigraphy of Newbiggin and Blyth. the Coal Measures,are presented here. The presentstudy is thethird DOE sponsored DATA SOURCES AND METHODOLOGY appliedgeological mapping projectin south-eastNorthumberland, previous Several centuries of coalmining and,in surveys have covered the covered have surveys recentdecades, an extensive search for coal Cramlington-Killingworth andCramlington-Killingworth seams which could be worked opencast have Morpeth-Pontelanddistricts (see Figure 1). provided a wealth of geological data for the The BritishGeologicalThe Survey has district.compilingIn thisreport and undertaken thesestudies aspart of the accompanying maps data from the following programmemaintainto itscoverage of sources were collated and interpreted: 1: 10 000 scale geological maps of the UK. * a detailed geological field survey at 1:lO 00 GEOGRAPHICAL SETTING * deep mine coal boreholes and shaft records * deep mine coal abandonment plans Thearea described lies tothe north of * opencast coal prospecting boreholes Newcastleupon Tynewithin the Blyth * opencast coal completion plans Valley,Castle Morpethand Wansbeck * site investigation boreholes, trial pits and re districts of theCounty of Northumberland * existing geological maps (Figure 1). Thebuilt-up areas of Blyth, * aerial photographs Morpeth,Ashington, Bedlington, Newbiggin * Water Authority data andStakeford significantmake a up * Local Authority data proportion (~25%)of the landarea, but in * geological reports and journals themain the district is rural. The east coast Thetype, quantity, quality and limitations rail lineand the A1 trunkroad cross the of each of these data sources are discussed district in the west. in Part I. Coal mining was for centuries the dominant Computeriseddatabases of boreholeand industryand has left itsmark onthe geotechnicalinformation comprising more landscape inthe form of collierybuildings than 40 600 records (i.e. lines of data) were andterraces, shafts, pitheaps and the established. Theirstructure and value, both effects of subsidence.Although currentand potential, aredescribed in underground mining is now confined to one Part toAppendices Cand B I. small privatemine, opencast coalmining conventionalComputer-aided and continuesand Butterwell, currently one of techniqueswere usedproduceto the the largest sites in Europe, is situated in the 1:lO 000 scale standard geologicalmaps, the north-west of district.the With the 1:25 000 scale thematic maps andthe exception of opencastmining and the large accompanyingreports. ._ aluminiumelectricitysmeltingand

7 2 GEOLOGICAL SUMMARY Apart from twominor igneous intrusions, the solidrocks whichcrop out inthe districtare of UpperCarboniferous age, deposited some 300 to 320 million years ago. Nothing is known of the pre-Carboniferous rocks,except that from outcropsinthe Lake District and Scottish Southern Uplands it may be surmised be may it thethat pre-Carboniferousbasement consists of strongly folded Lower Palaeozoic strata.

DuringCarboniferous times thedistrict lay in theNorthumberland Trough, a region of relativesubsidence between the Southern Uplands to thenorth and the Alston Block to thesouth. Deltaic sedimentation into the trough was rapid.Sediment was deposited in rhythmicsequences, mudstone and sandstonebeing predominant throughout, withmarine limestonesprominent inthe lower part and coals significant in the upper part.

Atthe end of Carboniferous timesfolding andfaulting associatedwith Hercynian(or Armorican)earth movements were followed by thedeposition of youngerstrata, since removedby erosion. The 'solid' geological history of thedistrict was effectively completedduring Tertiary times,when igneous dykeswere intruded and further earthmovements ledthe to uplift and easterly tilting which marked the start of an erosional cycle.

Modification of the landscape continued and most of the solidrocks inthe district are now covered by superficialQuaternary deposits or 'drift'.Following theTertiary uplift deep valleys, which decline eastwards to belowsea-level, were cut into the solid rock throughoutnorth-eastern England. Extensive drift depositswere laid down duringthe subsequent Devensianglaciation which endedabout 12 000 yearsago, these deposits consist largely of till (boulder clay), butinclude laminated clay,sands and gravels. Theyare thickest where they infill 'buried valleys'. In geologicallyrecent times rivershave deposited clays, silts, sands and gravels andhave subsequently cut through earlier deposits to form a series of terraces. Present dayriver deposits, along with alluvium and peat are still forming.

8

3 UPPER CARBONIFEROUS: GENERAL lithologyon andhave been defined at differenthorizons bydifferent authors. INTRODUCTION Thehistorical background to the divisions of the CoalMeasures used on geological In the Morpeth-Bedlington-Ashington survey maps of England and Wales is given districtthere are some 760 m of Upper byStubblefield (1957). Inthe first edition CarboniferousStrata proved in boreholes of theone-inch geologicalmaps onwhich andsurface exposures. These comprise this district lies, the CoalMeasures were 60 m of Millstone Grit, 210 m of Lower undivided.In the first resurvey they were Coal Measures,and 490 m of MiddleCoal dividedinto Lower, Middle (or Productive) Measures. The comprehensivegeological andUpper Coalgroups (Fowler, 1936, description of theTynemouth District by p.61). The boundaries of theMiddle Land (1974), which includes some 20 km2 in divisicnweretaken Victoriathe at thesouth-east of thisdistrict, hasprovided (ChoppingtonBrockwell) andAshington asound foundation for the description of coals. The base of the CoalMeasures was theUpper Carboniferous geology inthis taken asa purely arbitrary line within the report.However, borehole and mine plan coarsesandstone beneath the Victoria Seam informationmade available thein past and more or less parallel to the coal outcrop. 15 years hasenabled substantial revision to In this survey the base of the Coal Measures be madeeven in the part of thedistrict and the Westphalian Series has been taken at described by Land. anhorizon believed to beequivalent to the SubcrenatumMarine Band (see Lawrence Theremainder of thedistrict was last and Jackson, 1986). surveyedinthe period 1922 to 1926. A memoir was published for the northern half, DEPOSITIONAL SETTING on geological onSheets9 and 10 (Fowler, 1936), but no memoir was prepared DuringCarboniferous timesa major E-W for Sheet 14. Thisreport, therefore, the unit,structuraltrending provides the first comprehensive description NorthumberlandTrough, stretched across of the geology formuch of thedistrict Britainfrom the North Sea to the Solway south of a line between Morpeth and North Firth. The trough lay between the Northern Seaton and is thefirst detailed account for Pennine (Alston) block to the south and the over half a century of the geology to the SouthernUplands of Scotland ridge to the north of this line a period during which the north.The district described in this report wealth of informationfrom borehole, mine formed part of the Northumberland Basin at plan and surface and underground exposures theeastern end of thetrough, probably has been used toundertake completea separated from the Solway Basin to the west revision of the geologicalmap and by basementa high (see Johnson, 1984). seam-by-seamcorrelation withinthe Sedimentation into and within the basin was district.Thebiostratigraphy has been controlled by the relative rate of subsidence comparedwith that of theTynemouth andtectonic evolution of the basin. Districtand other coalfields and where Detailed consideration of the basin evolution necessarypalaentological samples have been is beyondthe scope of thisreport, but the re-examined. reader is referred to numerous papers which CLA SSIFICATION have been published in published CLASSIFICATION been have the 1970’s and 1980’s (e.g. Leeder, 1974, 1989; TheUpper Carboniferous sequence in this Johnson, 1984; Fielding, 1984, 1989; Collier, district is showngraphically in Figure 3. 1989; Kimbell et al., 1989). This classification is based on data from the wholecoalfield and on comparison with Differentialsubsidence between the basin otherfields, because many horizons in this andadjacent blocks was most activeduring districthave yieldeda floraand fauna too theDinantian and progressivelybecame restrictedto be areliable guide. Table 2 reducedlatertheDinantian in and indicatesWestphalianthe faunal zones Namurian(Johnson, 1984). Activerifting adopted throughout north-western Europe. of theNorthumberland Basin is thoughtto haveceased in theearly Namurian (Collier, Theboundaries of thedivisions of the 1989). As thestructural barriers between Carboniferous were originally based entirely basinsprogressively lost theirinfluence on

10 sedimentation a flatlower deltaic plain SEDIMENTOLOGY environmenttheextended from The ’classical’ CoalMeasures cycle (or Northumberland Basin, firstnorthwards cyclothem)has the pattern (younging from thensouthwards. By theend of the 1 to 5): Namurian,the time ofdeposition of the oldest sediments represented in this district, 5 Thick coal subsidenceTroughof and Block were Seatearth4 almost equal. Epeirogenicalmostequal. (thermal) 3 Siltstone andsandstone subsidencecontinued into the Westphalian 2 Barrenmudstone withan increase inthe rate of subsidence 1 Fossiliferousmudstone anddeposition. In Westphaliantimes the districtformed smalla fragment of the The following description of the constituent Pennine depositional province (Calver, 1969, lithologies is taken largely from Land (1974, p. 234) andthe regional environment of p. 11). deposition changed from a lower delta plain, close to and belowsea-level to anupper Mudstones andsiltstones. Thebulk of the deltaplain, still near to sea-level, but with sedimentsmudstonesare silty and more stable terrestrial conditions. mudstones.These are micaceous,generally barren of fossils apart from plant fragments, Therate of input of sediment almost kept andshow every gradation fromfinest pacewith that of subsidence,but periodic mudstonethrough silty mudstone to fine variations in rate led to the establishment of sandstone. Ripplemarks and small-scale the classic cyclicCoal Measures sequence. cross-beddingare almostuniversal in Steady influx of clasticsediment was siltstones andcoarser rocks. commonA sufficientto maintain landa surface on rock is onecomposed of interlaminated which forest-swamps were widely developed mudstoneand fine sandstone,the laminae and thickandpeatdeposits accumulated. generallyvarying in thickness between 0.05 Furthersubsidence, however, causedburial and 25 mm and being laterally variable and of thepeat beds by mudand sand. As the impersistent.Bioturbation and compaction land surfacestabilised, more sediment was effectssuch as load-casting,micro-faulting carried through the region in an established andminor slumping are common. Ironstone system of riverchannels rather than being nodules, generally flattened parallel with the depositedwithin the area (Johnson, 1984). bedding,are also common,particularly in Fielding(1984a) recognised threefold a the few feet above coal seams. hierarchy of depositionalcontrols which operatedacross the Durham Coal Measures Sandstones. Sandstones aresubarkosic, the during Westphalian times: dominantclastic component being quartz, orthoclase,microcline (commonly perthite), acidplagioclase, muscovite andbiotite (i) onthe large scale,depositional geometry presentinvarying amounts. Rather poor was controlledby patterns of majordelta -sortingandangularity of grainare progradation and switching; characteristicfeatures. Common accessory mineralsarezircon, garnet, rutile and (ii)on the medium scale, by acombination tourmaline.The rocks are cemented by of structurallyand compactionally induced chlorite,intergranularkaolinite, subsidence (see also Collier, 1989); and fine-grained micas andquartz, byor secondaryovergrowths toleading (iii) on the small scale, by local sedimentary interlockinggrains, and also in places by processes and subsidence patterns. patchycalcite, baryte, pyrite.or This patchy cementation is commonest near faults Fielding’s observations fortheDurham and in coarser rocks. Coalfield in a series of papers (1982, 1984a, 1984b,1986) canbe applied to the Veinlets of carbonatesand baryte with Northumberlandcoalfield; remarkably a traces of iron, lead andzinc sulphides are uniformthickness of WestphalianCoal common.Jones (1945) found no great Measures was laid downtheover mineralogychange in for samples Northumberland Basin and Alston Block. throughoutthe Westphalian .-Aand B. However, Haszeldine ( 198 1) concluded that

12 Westphalian Marker Bivalve stages goniatite bands zones

@Per Anthracosia WESTPHALIAN sirnilis- C Anthraconaia pulchra

RyhopeMarine Band RyhopeMarine Band 'Anthracoceras' hindi

Lower Anthracosia sirnilis- Anthraconaia WESTPHALIAN pulchra B

Bensharn Seam

Anthruconuia HarveyMarine Band 'Anthrococoratites' modiolaris uanderbeckei

Top Busty Seam

Carbonicala WESTPHALIAN communis A

Ganister Clay Seam

Gast -ocer suErena%m

Table 2 Zonal classification of the Westphalian

13 theTable Rocks and SeatonSluice unitewith the next higher seam, or seams. sandstones(see pages 67 and7 1)could be Sucha combination of theMetal and High separatedpetrographically andFielding Mainseams gives rise maximum ato (1982) suggested thatboth sorting and thickness (including dirt bands) of over 4 m diagenesissandstonesof were, part,in onthe southern edge of thedistrict. Seams environmentallyrelated. Geometrically the also showlateral thickness variations and sandstonesare either thin (generally less mayeven die out. Fielding (1984a,1984b, than 5 widespreadm) sheets ('sheet 1986) categorises and discussescoal seams sandstones') or thick (10 to 50 m)and of splitsand thickness variations within the elongate,gently curving formin plan adjacentDurhamcoalfields.The ('channelsandstones'). Asingle sandstone application of hisobservations thisto may be inboth sheet and channel form in district is consideredtogether with the differentareas. The sedimentology of these description of variationin individual coal sandstones closely resembles thatdescribed seams in the detailed stratigraphic section of by Potter (1962) inthe Pennsylvanian of this report. Illinois. Many of thesandstones below the Top Busty Seam are coarse- grainedeven Alongwith otherstrata, coalseams are whenin thinsheets, but at higher levels it subjectto washouts,generally infilledby is generallyonly the channel sandstones channelsandstones,thermal toand which are coarse.Commonly the channel metamorphismadjacent toigneous dykes sandstonesoccupy washouts which may cut (Jones andCooper, 1970, pp. 59-63, pls. downmany feet into underlying strata. 4-7). Sandstones in washoutsgenerally contain mudstone,ironstone and coal pebbles - Inaddition to the usual bituminous coals, many of thelast, known colloquially as thincannel coals occurat many horizons, 'scares', arecoalified logs andbranches. particularlyinthe immediate roof of a Practicallyallsandstones, whatever their normalseam. Cannels are rarely more than grade, are cross-bedded on various scales. afew centimetres thick and are of limited arealextent; they are not associated with anyunderlying seatearth. They usually Seatearths. Underlying every coalseam is a contain fish debris and 'Estheria'. seatearth,generally composed of mudstone and characterised by the presence of rootlets Fielding (1 984a) recognized 13lithofacies and lack of bedding.There is no apparent Durhamwithincoalfield.the His correlationbetween thicknessthe or lithofaciesconsist of specifictypes, or character of aseatearth and that of the combination of types, of majorthe overlyingSeatearthscoal. more are constituent lithologiesdescribed above and persistentthan their associated coals. In areeach given detailed a depositional somelocalities andat somehorizons, interpretation (see Fielding 1984a, table 1). particularlyinthe lowestCoal Measures seatearth-sandstonesoccur, these are known GENERAL STRATIGRAPHY as ganisters. At somelevels, seatearths are noticeablybrown orgreen incolour, in Owingto therepetitive nature of the contrastmorethe prevalentto grey. succession there is little,apart from local Ironstonenodules are almostubiquitous in containedfossils, todistinguish one part seatearths,sphaerosideriteand is not from another. In describing the stratigraphy uncommon. of the CoalMeasures inthis report, the stratabetween each pair of vertically adjacent, named coal seams or marine bands Coals. The coals of thisdistrict are is consideredas a unit. Each unit contains bituminousand show a general increase in oneor more cyclothems. Cyclothems are rankboth downwards and southwards from often incomplete and may show great lateral veryweakly caking coals of BritishCoal variation.Even within any one inter-seam (NationalCoal Board) class 802 tomedium interval it is likely that a series of borehole or, less commonly,strongly caking coals of sections fromthroughout the district taken class 502 (Jones, 1945). Most of the seams in isolationwould not be readily correlated. aresplit by seatearthor mudstone partings, Detailedcorrelation hasbeen made by and in places the top leaf of oneseam may considering the whole suite of borehole and

14 Coal A bbTeviatio?7S at the side of section columns -mmaWorked coal B Brachiopods F Fish mi Mudstone IR Ironstone L Lingula

M Mussels

Os Ostracods

00000 Coarse-grainedsandstone P Plants CICI4-e

Figure 4 Key for Figures of Vertical Sections

shaft sections, placing particular reliance on by avoidinga name of low repute",hence thepersistence of faunalbands and major therepeated use of the namesBusty, Main coal seams andon the cyclic nature of the and Yard district.thein Since the succession. Computer analysis of seam nationalisation of the minesBritish Coal interval thickness has been used as an aid to (formerlythe National Coal Board)has correlationand was particularlyvaluable in attemptedto assign standardcounty names identifyingareas of apparentabnormality. and,more recently, index letters tothe Most coals over1 m thick are confined to seams. TraditionallyDurhamand stratabetween the Harvey and High Main Northumberland have each a separate set of marinebands and twogroups of strataare names. The namesused inthis report are dominated by thick widespread sandstones - based largely on the Standard County series, those between the subcrenatum Marine Band with a few exceptions which are detailed in andthe Victoria Seam andbetween the thetext whcre they occur, as are instances Kirkby's and Ryhope Marine Bands. whichin this report departs from the nomenclature used by the Geological Survey SEAM NOMENCLATURE inthe Tynemouth district (Land 1974). The disposition of collierymanythe of Theevolution of seamcorrelation in the companies, the seam names they used and a NorthumberlandandDurham coalfields comparison with the standard series and this since the original work by Buddle (1831a,b) report are shown in Figure 5 and Table 2. is well described by Land (1974, p. 15). Seam nomenclaturesuffers considerably from homonyms and synonyms, arising both frommis-correlation and from the plethora of local names introduced by private colliery companies. Land (1974, p. 16) noted that "on acommercial basis: the value of a newly namedseam could be enhanced by associationwith a name of good reputeor

15 8E

EA

84

82 H

ow and P~gs

aton Sea Rocks

Approximate limits of colliery 0 1 2 3 km royalties prior to nationalisation 5 Scale Figure 5 Distribution of colliery companies

Table 3A Coal seamnomenclature, Bensham and above

THIS INDEX DURHAM LOCALCOLLIERY NAME (WHERE DIFFERENT FROM THIS SURVCI) SURVEY LIZITER ASHINGTON CHOPPINGTON NEWBIGGINBEDLINGTON ANkAFy&N Moorland DEI Blackclose

Ashington DE2 HighMain HighMain I HighMain E TopMain NewMain Top Main TopMain

Metal F1 MiddleMain TopMain Bottom Main Bottom Main

Five-Quarter F2 Bottom Main Bottom Main Grey 2 First Below Bentinck G1 TopMain Grey

Yard G(2) Main Upper Bensham Top Bensham Top Maudlin Bensham BenshamBensham H 1 Benshqr_n (Duke) Bottom Bottom Bensham H2 Maudlin Five-Quarter Bensham Stone Stone Table 3B Coal seam nomenclature,Bensham and below

DURHAM LOCAL COLLIERY NAME (WHEREDIFFERENT FROM THIS SURVM) INDEX COUNTY NAME

Maudlin Quarry burham Bross Thill Five-Quarter Band (Little) Hartlcy Brass Thill @owpen) Low Morn Broomhill 1 Plessey 21 Low Low Main Bottom 3 Ruler (Cheeveley) Honey Harvey Top eustY (Low Yard)

Hodge

Band Yard TopBusty Hepscott Harvey (Law Main)

BottomBusty Q2 Top Main Barmoor Old Man Top Busty Bottom Main (Splint) Stobswood sNew 1 R/S Little Wonder Bottom Brockwell I s Bandy Little

Brockwell 7Victoria Green Victoria

1 The BroomhiLL main is the Hutton of the Tynemouth district (Land, 1974) 2 The Plessoy is alsoknown as theHutton in Northumberlandmines 3 The Bottom Plessey is the Chceveley of the -uth district(Land, 1974) and is known by that name at North Scafon Collioly 4 The nlky is also known as thz Donton Low Muin 5 The Tup Busty is also known as the Plessey, Low Muin w Beautnont 5n the Morpeth avea 6 TheVictoria is also known as theBessie Greg .In the ldorpeth area

17 4 MILLSTONE GRIT Shale, sandywithrootlets 4 .O STRATA BELOW THESUBCRENATUM Sandstone, paleSandstone, grey, 11.0 MARINE BAND fine-grained, massive Millstone Grit strata are known from only 3 Shale,grey,coarse top, at 3.7 boreholes withinthe district (Figure 6).No calcareous withthin layers of detailsare available of thetop 20 m or so shell fragmentsshell shalyand of the sequence present beneath drift on the limestone at base (PisgahHill westernedge of thedistrict at Morpeth. Limestone) Thethickest Millstone Grit succession proved inthe district, albeit only 62 m, is Some 37m higher in the same borehole there in the Ashingtonthe in Colliery borehole occursthe base of a pair of marinebands (28 NE 58) and results fromit passing 6m apart. throughthe Stakeford fault and recording thebeds onits upthrow side. A grey shale The lower of thebands haspoorly a unitwhich becomes calcareous and shelly preservedfauna comprising Brochocarina?, nearits base, about 16 mabove the bottom Lingulamytilloides and Productus cf. of the bore, contains a fauna consisting of- carbonarius. Theupper band contained Lingulasp. Productus carbonarius andan Serpuloides sp., Rhabdomesonsp., orthotetid.otherThe boreholestwo Angiospirifer?, Composita sp., Crurithyris recordingMillstone Grit Strata (Stannington urii,Eomargini fera sp.,Linoproductus sp., Nos 1 and boreholes,2 28 SW 54 and Orbiculoideasp., orthotetoid, Pugilis cf. 70, respectively),28SWproved 70, scotica,Rugosochonetes hindi, Schizophoria medium-grained,false-bedded sandstone sp., smoothspiriferid, Euphemitessp., beneaththe presumed base of the Coal Glabrocingulumsp.,Pterinopectinella sp., Measures,to a maximum thickness of 26 m nautiloid(small nodes onshoulder, fine inStannington No.1. Thissandstone was ornament), Anthracoceras?,Reticuloceras? informallycorrelated with the ‘2nd Grit’ of This is consistentwith an horizon ator Durham by earlier workers. about the Pisgah Hill Limestone (Whitehouse Limestone)identified adjacentthe in Ponteland - Morpeth district (Lawrence and Jackson, 1986). Inthe Ashington Colliery borehole sequencethe succeeding the ’Limestone’ is recorded as follows:- m Shale, greyto dark grey, with 1.2 brachiopods, planolites and some slickensiding (Subcrenatumslickensiding Marine Band equivalent) Sandstone, grey hard, greySandstone, 1.2 fine-grained, massive, (atypical ganister) Shale,silty,micaceous with 2.4 sandy bands Shale,silty in places, darkgrey 2.3 withworm tubes, plant debris near top, brachiopodstop,near and lamellibranchsat base (lower marine band) Shale,grey, siltywith silty 8.5 sandstone beds up to 0.6 m thick Sandstone,pale, grey, massive, 6.7 m edium to course-grained,medium to kaolinitic

18 Ashington Colliery Stannington Lough House Farm No 25/16 (Dovecote) No 1 Stannington NZ28NE 58 NZ28SW 54 NZ28SW 70 8156 2104 801 1 2739 8660 2090 Metres Assumed position of L- L- L b -0 GASTRIOCERASSUBCRENATUM MAR1N E BAND L -I LF ...... , , , , ...... 10 ...... - ...... - 20 ...... A', A: A<, A*, AI ...... , ,.,*... . , , . , ..e.,. - 30 ,a*.,...... ,e*...... , ...... , , ...... For key see .*...... 1, : ,' , '. Figure 4 ...... ~::::::.~ ...... ,...a,.

......

PISGAH HILL LIMESTONE !8 fOs El.....

...... El......

Figure 6 Millstone Grit sections

L

19 Nethertonborehole (28 SW 44). The 5 COAL MEASURES sandstone is overlainbythepresumed equivalent of the GanisterClay Seam. In BASE OF COALMEASURES TO the south of the district the seam is in two MARSHALL GREEN SEAM thin leaves,each less than 25 cmand Measuresbelow theMarshall Green Seam separated by less than 3 cm of mudstone or havebeen recorded inthirteen boreholes seatearth-mudstone (e.g. BarmoorFarm withinthedistrict; only four of these No. 8 borehole, 28 SW 13). However,either reachedthe probable base of the Coal of the coals maybe locally washed out and Measures. The generalsuccession is the seamis probablyrepresented by a illustrated Figurein 7, correlationsare mudstoneparting in borehole a at based on comparisonwith therecently BarringtonColliery (28 SE 29b).A horizon surveyedand better known sequence in the 5 mbelow thepresumed Ganister Clay Ponteland-Morpethdistrict theto west Seam in Bates No. 25borehole (38 SW 36) (Lawrence and Jackson, 1986). contains Curvirimula cf. trapeziforma, but nocomparable fauna hasbeen recovered at The assumed equivalent of the Subcrenatum this level elsewhere in the district. The 8 to Marine Band occurred at a depth of 110 m 12 m of measures between the Ganister Clay in Ashingtonthe Colliery borehole Seam andoverlying Marshall Green Seam (28 NE 58) and yielded Lingulamytilloides variablyare mudstone, siltstone and and orbiculoidea?. Thishorizon corresponds sandstone.Fish scales havebeen recorded withthe ’Top Marine Band’ of earlier from a dark grey mudstone some 5 m below workers. theMarshall Green in the Barmoor Farm No. 8 borehole, which may be equivalent to The sandstone overlying the marine band is the WellMillMarine Band of the coarse-grainedand pebbly towards its base Ponteland-Morpethdistrict (Lawrence and in borehole 28 NE 58 and false-bedded with Jackson, 1986). verycoarse-grained layers in Stannington No. 2borehole. It is possiblethat, locally, almost theentire interval between the base Marshall Green Seam. The MarshallGreen of the CoalMeasures andthe Marshall is the lowest major seam inthe Coal Green Seam is composed of sandstone (e.g. Measures of thedistrict. Known locally as the BarringtonCollieryborehole, the theChoppington Victoria, it hasbeen 28SE 29b), butgenerally there are two or proved in boreholes throughoutthe district three cyclestopped by seatearths orthin with a thickness ranging from 10 to 113 cm coals. The lowest of these coal horizons has (borehole 28 NW 129) and a mean of 55 cm beencorrelated with the Saltwickcoal and (Figure 8). It is aclean bright coal usually is present inthe Bedlington ’D’ Pit and of highquality with ash content generally Stannington boreholesNo. 2 between %o and 10% and a sulphur content (28 SW 62and 70) west of Bedlington, of less than 0.1%. Inthe south of the whereit is upto 30 cmthick. The 7 cm district a dirt band of upto 10 cm is coalnear the base of borehole 28 SE 29b presenttowards the base of the seam and may also beequivalent to the Saltwick. The theseam islocally impoverished inthe marine horizon overlying a thinmarinehorizonoverlying a Newshamarea. It is said to havebeen coal-seatearthsome 5 to 10 mabove the workedat the two oldCottingwood Pits Saltwick is the possibleequivalent of the [205 8731 (Fowler,1936) but the mine plan GubeonMarine Band. Inthe Barmoor No. forthe westernmost workings contains no 9borehole (28 SW 20) it contains Lingula details of levels andthe depth of theshaft nzytilloides andtheAshington Colliery makes it more likely that the workings were borehole(28 NE 56) yielded Lingula inthe Victoria (Choppington Brockwell) nzytilloides, a productoidfragment and seam. There is noother record of the seam Orbiculoidea?. beingmined withinthe district, although it was formerlyworked tothe south-west Thesucceeding strata comprise sandstone outsidethe district (Lawrence and Jackson, locally exceeding 20 m inthickness and 1986). commonlycoarse-grainedwith layers. Garnetswere recorded from near the base andmidway through the sandstone in the

3n LV Lough House Farm Stannington No 1 Bore Stobhili Stannington (Dovecote) No 1 Estate Morpcth NZ28SW 70 NZ28SW 54 NZ28SW 19 2104 8011 2105 8410 2090 8156 Metres MARSHALLGREEN (U) a -0 ...... Ashington Colliery ...... No 25/16 ...... NZ28NE 58 ...... - 10 ...... GANlSTER CLAY (V) e ...... upper pad ...... of section ...... :8 ...... faulted out ...... : I; i .:a ...... *...... I ...... - 20 ...... P ...... GUBEONMARINE BAND ,...... - 30 - ..... f"""' ...... FP ...... For see ...... key ...... Figure 4 ...... SALTWICK ...... :I::,::...... l:;:i:;:i:;:i:], . , . . , ...... 'A' i 'A'A ...... 1AlhlAlhl ...... / ...... \ / ...... Assumed position of ...... GASTRIOCERAS ...... SUBCRENATUM MARINEBAND

Figure 7 Base of Coal Measures to Marshall Green Seam

21 88

EA

82 -I

iw and P~gs

atan Sea Racks

0 1 2 3 km I I -440- Isopach of MarshallGreen Seam (cm) Scale (ornamentedon low side of line)

Westernlimit of seamat outcrop or fault

+ Bore orshaft penetrating coal

Style of working

Area of totalextraction (goaf) - 15 - Isopach of Marshall Green to Victoriainterval 0 1 2 3 km 2 Scale

Western limit of MarshallGreen Seamat outcrop or fault

Sandstoneabove Marshall Green 5 to 1 Om thick

Sandstoneabove Marsha Green 10 to 15m thick

Sandstoneabove Marsha Greengreater than 15m

+ Boreor Shaft provinginterval

0 Section figured in report

Figure 9 Basal sandstonein Marshall Green to Victoria Interval

23 +

0 1 2 3 km - 15 - Isopach of MarshallGreen to Victoria interval I I J (thickness in metres) Scale

Westernlimit of MarshallGreen Seam atoutcrop or fault

Sandstone above Slcobswood Marine Band 5 to 1 Om thick

Sandstoneabove Stobswood MarineBand IO to15m thick

Sandstoneabove Stobswood MarineBand over 15m thick

+ Boreor Shaft proving interval

0 Sectionfigured in report

Figure 10 Sandstoneabove Stobswood Marine 6and .- inMarshall Green Seam to Victoria Seaminterval 24 Mount Pleasant Hartford Netherton Ashington Colliery Ashington 21 /34 Farm Bedlington Moor Farm NZ28NW 126 NZ28NE 102 NZ28SE 52 NZ28SW 65 2428 8852 2653 8888 2880 8272 2398 8071 Metres VICTORIA (T) -0 '=-I '=-I

Bottom Victoria

- 10

STOBSWOOD MARINE BAND - 20 ...... \ I:_:::.:*:::.:)...... I:::.:::.I I:::.:::.I MARSHALL GREEN (U) - 30

For key see Figure 4

IJ Figure 11 Marshall Green Seam to VictoriaSeam interval

L

MARSHALL GREEN TO VICTORIA borehole 9No (28 SW 20). Unless collectionswere made from aborehole, the Strata above Marshallthe Green. exact position of the marine band is usually Throughout most of the district the Marshall uncertain and its horizon has been estimated Green is immediatelyoverlain by a from the presence of a mudstone unit, up to coarse-grained,locally pebbly, sandstone. 10 mthick, overlying the basal sandstone The sandstone is commonly cross-bedded in andcommonly with scattered small mussels thelower andmiddle part, but becomes nearits base. Themarine band was -finer-grainedupwards and is overlain, in identifiedinexposures atthe Glororum places, byseatearth-coal a horizon Opencast Site (see above). immediatelybelow the Stobswood Marine Band (Figuresand9 10). The coal is The interval between the Stobswood Marine variablydeveloped maximum atoup Band andthe Victoria Seamranges in thickness of 59cm (28 SW 203) inthe thickness from 10.9 to 24.8 m. Throughout south-west of thedistrict and was worked much of the district it consists of sandstone duringthe present Survey in the Glororum inthe lower part, with up to 10 m of OpencastSite, 0.5 km to the west of the argillaceous strataunderlying the Victoria district at [ 193 8231. Seam. The sandstoneincreases in thickness tothe north-east and north of Ashington Thethin StobswoodMarine Band is known intervalthe is largelycomposed of to bepresent throughout much of the sandstone (e.g. 28 NE 102, Figure 11). district.The band contains a fauna of fish However,around Bedlington the interval is debrisandforaminifera, and Pianolites largelymudstone with numerous plants and ophthalmoides is commonlypresent in roots. A seatearthand thin coalcommonly collections from overlyingmudstones in the occurabove the sandstone, but below the morenorth-easterly part of the area. Victoria. Lingula mytilloides has been recovered only once in the boreholes examined, in Barmoor

25 on Pmt

88 4- EA

+ ~ 86

t 84 + kers

82 H

ow and Pcgs

%ton Sea Rocks

0 1 2 3 km -40- Isopach of Victoria Seam(cm) ' Scale

Western limit of seamat outcrop or fault

f Bore orshaft penetrating coal (outside worked areas)

Style of working NOTE: Area of totalextraction (goaf) The seamhas been worked opencast in the currentlyactive Area of pillar and stal I workings Butterwell Site

Figure 12 VictoriaSeam (T), coal thickness and workings

26 AshingtonBorehole 24/84 20/84 Bates pit Blyth Fieldhouse Farm Bedlington A 37 NZ28NW 39 NZ38SW 44 NZ28SW 71 NZ28SE 115 2491 8862 3273 8333 2284 8341 2774 8303 Metres -0 BROCKWELL (S) ...... # ...... Victoria Shell Bed / ...... P ...... ~:._.~.*.*::~, , ...... -- 10 ...... l:.:.:.:.:.:.:l...... n...... I_::::.:/I...... 1.;.;.__:.;.1...... F ...... VICTORIA (T) ...... \ ...... \ -- 20

L- 30

For key see Figure 4

Figure 13 Victoria Seam to Brockwell Seam

VictoriaSeam. The Victoria(Choppington Hepscott, Morpeth and Pegswood and in the Brockwell, or Bessie Grey) Seam has been east at Cambois, the roof of theVictoria minedthein west of thedistrict the seam is mudstone. Planolitesophthalmoides (Figure 12); the most recentdeep workings (large form) was recovered from thisroof were from Ashington Colliery in 1981. It is mudstoneConeygarththein borehole apersistent coal, usually clean and of good (28 NW 64)and it yielded fish debris in 3 qualitywith thickness a (excluding dirt boreholes in the east of the district at North bands)ranging from 18 to 91 cmwith a SeatonColliery, Ashington andHorton mean of61 cm.Ash contents aregenerally Grange.Elsewhere however no fauna has between 3 and 8% andsulphur content beenrecorded theinVictoria roof in between 0.7 and 1.2%. Fowler (1936) contrastto the Tynemouth district to the considered this seam to form the base of the south-east(Land, 1974). The presence of 'Productive or Middle Coal Group'. two thin seamsabove theVictoria is restrictedto the area between Cambois and VICTORIA TO BROCKWELL Ashington. The lower,thicker coal has beencalled theupper leaf of theVictoria Strata between the Victoria and Brockwell (or TopVictoria) in several boreholes from Seams, Theinterval between the Victoria AshingtonColliery and correlated with the and Brockwell coals (Figures13 and 14) medianseam nearBothal where the ranges from 6.5 to 26.3 m. The succession Victoria-Brockwellinterval is thinnest.The comprisesmainly sandstone in the west of seam is of poorquality with high ash thearea andbetween Bedlington and contentand has notbeen mined. Thethick Cambois, butwith variable (often equal) sandstone towards the base of the interval is proportions of mudstoneandsandstone over 10 m thick in places and is commonly elsewhere. Theinterval commonly contains coarse and massive near its base. a thin coal orseatearth in the lower half andsometimes second a thin coal or At avariable interval above the Victoria, seatearthin the upper half. Except locally generally overlying the lower median coal, a in thewestern edge of thedistrict around

27 0 1 2 3 km -40- Isopach of Victoriato Brockwell interval 7 Scale (thickness in metres,ticks on low side of line)

Western limit of Victoria Seam at outcropor fault

1-1 1-1 Sandstone in interval 5 to 10m thick

Sandstone in interval over lorn thick . ..

6ORE OR SHAFT PROVING INTERVAL:

+ Mediancoal absent

0 Mediancoal present

0 Sectionfigured in this report

Figure I4 VictoriaSeam to BrockwellSeam interval 28 0 1 2 3 km -25 Isopach of Brockwell Seam(cm) 2 - Scale

' Western limit of seamat outcrop or fault

.t Boreshaftor penetrating coal (outside worked area)

Style of working NOTE: Area of totalextraction (goaf) The seamhas been worked opencast in thecurrently active Area of pillarand stall workings ButterwellSite

Figure 15 Brockwell Seam (S), coal thicknessand workings

29 geographicallywidespread, if faunally wherethe seam, including dirt bands, was variable,musselband occurs. The poorest upto 1.4 mthick. The Brockwell is the development of fauna in this band occurs in lowestseam contractually worked inthe parts of 28 SE. The combinedfauna from Butterwell Opencast Site. thehorizon is:- Carbonicola aff. bipennis, C. (brownisp. group?) C. cristagalli, BROCKWELL TO THREE-QUARTER C. pseudorobusta, C. aff. rhindii, C. aff. Theinterval between the two seamsranges rhomboidalis,C. cf. robusta, from to7 24 m,the greatest inverval C. robusta/pseudorobusta, generallyoccuring where thesandstone C. robusta/rhomboidalis,Curvirimula cf. content is greatest.Except on Sheet 28 SW subovata, C. cf. trapeziforma. Thefauna is theintervening strata commonly include at comparabletothat obtained fromother leastone intermediate thin coal or seatearth occurrences of theVictoria Shell Bed in (Figures 16 and 17). Northumberlandand also containselemeats characteristic of the lower part of the Thestrata comprising the interval vary Communis Zone in Scotland. throughout the district and it is difficult to identifygenerala pattern from available The musselband is generally succeeded by a boreholeinformation. Around Pegswood, sandstonewhich has itsmaximum thickness Ashington,Netherton and south of Blyth of over 10 m inthe Choppington area, the Brockwellsandstone ahas roof. whereit is overlainby the seatearth of the Elsewherethe roof is mudstonewith a upperthin coal. The higheststrata form a sparsefauna of mussels (e.g. boreholes variablesequence of mudstonesand silty 38 NW 31, 52 and 54a). The lithologically mudstoneswith locally some thin coals or variablefine- to coarse-grained sandstone seatearths.It is possible thatin some which forms or overlies the roof measures is boreholes, thicker coals in this upper part of over5 m thick in places (see Figure 16), the sequence have been included by this and althoughin some thestrata below the earlierSurveys in the Brockwell (or Bandy) intermediate seamconsists of mudstone and sequence of coals. seatearth.

Brockwell Seam. The Brockwellgenerally thickestandThe persistentmost consists of aseries of thin coals (hencethe intermediateprobablywhichseam, local name 'Bandy', wherethe underlying representsthe 'new seam' of Stobswood seam is known as Choppingtonthe Colliery [237 9481 4 km north of the district Brockwell). It is consequentlydifficult to (see Land, 1974, p. 29), is best developed in assign nametheconsistently to one north-west,the where it reachesa particular coal horizon and the Brockwell is maximumthickness of 53cm. Itcan be used in placesto describe a combination of traced throughout much of the district. The thin coals over an interval of up to 5 m, but coal was mined from the Middle Drifts, east moreusually less than 2 m. Figure 15 of the How Burn prior to 1927 as the Little illustratesthe total thickness of cleancoal. Wonder Littlethe(not Wonder of Individual coals locallyexceed m1 in Broomhill) whereit was 43 cmthick thicknessin the south-west of thedistrict includinga dirtband, it is alsoworked (e.g. 122 cmin 28 SW 22), butare underthis name in the Butterwell Opencast generallymuch thinner, and represent an Site. The beds inthe upper part of the inferior coal with the ash content commonly Brockwell to Three-Quarter interval form a exceeding 11%. The seam was minedfrom variablesequence of mudstoneswith MorpethMoor Pit, where it was 90cm underlyingsandstone in places, and up to thickand provided an excellentlocomotive threethin coal seatearthor horizons coal (Fowler, 1936) andfrom Hepscott underlyingthe Three-Quarter Seam. Plants Collieryas the 'Bottom Seam'. An analysis arerelatively abundant in this upper part of the coal in a bore north-west of Hepscott andfish have been recorded above the showed66 cm of good quality coalwith an 'Stobswood New' at CamboisColliery ash content of 5.7% and sulphur content of (38 NW 52). less than 1%.

Most recentlythe Brockwell was mined until 1960 fromChoppington BColliery,

30 __ 0 1 2 3 km -40- Isopach of Brockwellto Three-Quarter interval (thicknessmetres,in ticks on low side of line) Scale

Westernlimit of BrockwellSeam at outcrop or fault

Sandstone in interval 5 to 1 Om thick

Sandstone in interva I 10 to 15m thick

Sandstone in interva I over 15m thick

BORE OR SHAFT PROVING INTERVAL:

+ Median coalabsent

0 Median coal present

0 Sectionfigured in this report

Figure 16 BrockwellSeam to Three-QuarterSeam interval

31 North Seaton North Seaton Bedlington D Pit NethertonBorehole Surface No 162 Colliery Underground 20 (1 937) NZ28NE 45 NZ38NW 49 NZ28SE 92 NZ28SW 60 2841 8626 3167 8647 2625 8107 2275 8106 Metres THREE-QUARTER (R) -0 ...... , . . . . -...... e..,...... , . Stobswood New (R/S) ....,...... , ...... , . . - 10 .e.....

BROCKWELL (S)

.I- 20

- 30

For key see Figure 4

Figure 17 Brockwell Seamto Three-Quarter Seam

OnSheet 28 SW, a thin seam atthe top of coal was generalout of atotal thickness of theinterval hasbeen considered representto coal and dirt bandswhich in places a lowera leaf of theThree-Quarter, but it is exceeded 165 cm. possible that this mightbe more correctly correlatedwith the Stobswood New, which lies directly beneath the Three-Quarter.

Three-Quarter Seam The Three-QuarterThe (PegswoodBottom Busty) Seam has been traced throughout the district(Figure 18). It ranges in thickness from 20 cmtoover 130 cm and is of variablequality. Dirt bands are commonly present, either near the floor or the roof of the coal; ash content excluding dirt bands is between 5 and 12% and the sulphur is up to 2%. Locally the coalhas a relatively high chlorine content.

The seam was worked near crop in the west of thedistrict in the early part of this century both from drifts in the banks of the How Burnand River Wansbeck andfrom shaftsMorpethat Moor, Barmoor and HepscottCollieries whereit was sometimes termed the Little. More recently it has been workedatNetherton and until 1988 at AshingtonColliery where 60 to 70 cm of

32 0 1 2 3 km IsopachofThree-Quarter Seam (cm) -25 - Scale

Westernlimit of seamat outcrop or fault

+ Boreshaftor penetrating coal

Style of working NOTE: Area of totalextraction (goaf) The seamhas been worked opencast in thecurrently active Area of pillardnd stall workings ButterwellSite

Figure 18 Three-QuarterSeam (R), coal thickness and workings

33 0 I 2 3 km -40- Isopach of Three-Quarterto Scale Bottom Busty interval - (thickness in metres,ticks on low side of line)

Western limit of Three-QuarterSeam at outcrop or fault

E]Sandstone in interval 5 to 1 Om thick

. . Sandstone in interva I 10 to 15m thick

8,** *. *

Sandstonein interva I over 15m thick .. , . I * 8 ,* . *' * , . . . *. a. *. .

BORE OR SHAFT PROVINGINTERVAL:

+ Median coal absent

0 Median coal present

Sectionfigured in this report

Figure19 Three-QuarterSeam to Bottom BustySeam interval

34 Ashington Colliery Borehole 24/84 Netherton Borehole Surface Bore Bates Pit Blyth 1937 Howard Shaft NZ28NE 158 NZ38SW 44 NZ28SW 60 NZ28SW 40 A 2706 3273 0333 2275 8106 2387 8257 8999 Metres BOlTOM Bum (Q2) ...... -0 ...... - 10 ...... I:::::.:::::j:l,...... :::::::I :::::::I ...... / - 20

For key see Figure 4

Figure 20 Three-QuarterSeam to Bottom BustySeam

THREE-QUARTER TO BOTTOM BUSTY Bottom Busty Seam. TheBottom Busty Thisinterval thickens south-eastwards from Seam (Top Busty of Pegswood)has been only 5 m in parts of the Butterwell opencast mined inthe west of thedistrict (Figure site to over 20 mat Blyth. It is dominated 21). Inthe north of thedistrict it was throughoutmuch of thedistrict by a thick worked,nearcrop, Morpeth at Moor sandstonewhich forms the roof of the Colliery north of How Burn [208 8701 where Three-Quarter(Figures 19 and 20). it was known as the Old Man. Elsewherethe roof measures aremudstone, usually unfossiliferous, but in the south-east It was also worked as the'Top Seam' at afauna including Carbonicola cf. martini, ParkhouseColliery [213 8601 and as the C. cf. oslancis, C. aff. pectorata, C. cf. 'Splint' in a drift from the Wansbeck [2133 rhomboidalis,Leaia sp. and Carbonita has 86481; it is likelythat other localworkings been recovered from various boreholes. were also presentalong the banks of the Wansbeck. Inthe south it was worked, Thethick sandstone mentioned above is locally tocrop, as the 'Splint' at Barmoor variablycoarse-grainedfine- to and and Hepscott Collieries. commonlycross- bedded. It is particularly coarse and locallyconglomeratic towards its The seamhas more recently been mined at base (e.g. inborehole 28 SE 52). However, greaterdepthfrom Pegswood and there is recordno of theunderlying ChoppingtonA and B Collieries, extraction Three-Quarter beingwashed outinthe ceasing in 1962. The coal ateach Colliery district.AroundNetherton at and was up to 76 cm thick, but thinned to only Ashington,where the interval is composed 45 cm easterntheat limit of the mainly of mudstoneandsiltstone, an Choppingtonworkings. Figure 21 illustrates intermediate seam is developed (Figure 20). the coal thickness across the district ranging This seam, named the Hepscott Little in one from an average of 51 cm to a maximum of borehole, is up to 56 cmthick with an 95cm. Thequality of the coaldecreases average of 14 cm. eastwards across the area; west of Ashington

35 88

EA

82 -I

IW and P~gs

'aton Sea Rocks

0 I 2 3 km -40- Isopach of Bottom Busty Seam (cm) Scale (ornamented on low side of line)

Western limit of seam at outcropor fault

f Boreshaftor penetrating coal (outside worked area)

Style of working NOTE: Area of totalextraction (goaf) The seamhas been worked opencast in the currentlyactive Area of pillar and stall workings Butterwell Site

Figure 21 Bottom Busty Seam (Q2), coal thicknessand workings

36 Ashington Colliery BoreholeAshingtonColliery 24/84 Shaft NethertonBorehole Surface Bore Blyth Bates Pit (1 937) NZ28NE 158 NZ38SW 44 NZ28SW 40 A NZ28SW 60 2706 8999 83333273 2387 0257 2275 8106 Metres TOP BUSTY ...... -.-.-.-.-.-...... -. -. -. -. - ...... / ...... / ...... F7...... 1-1 .,...... 1*:::*;:;;:::j:1 ...... / ...... , ...... BOTTOM BUSY

For key see Figure 4

Figure 22 Bottom Busty Seam to Top Busty Seam

theseam is largely freefrom dirt withan intervalform a continuousbanded coal ash contentvarying between 5 and 13%, in sequence below the main Top Busty. To the theeast, however, the cgal is generally east of the main sandstone the succession is either too bandedor too thinto have been mainlymudstone, siltstone and fine-grained considered a workable proposition. sandstonewithone or twomedium seatearths or coals generally about 10 cm in The Bottom Busty is washed out in borehole thickness. 28 SE 92, anunderground borehole from Bedlington Doctor Pit. The mudstonesare rich in plant remains, Fowler(1936) lists a number of genera BOTTOM BUSTY TO TOP BUSTY collected from the roof of the Bottom Busty In thecentre of thisdistrict the interval is in HowBurn. Fish fragments have only dominated by a thick sandstone (Figure 22). beenrecorded from AshingtonColliery The sandstoneThe is variablyfine-to wherethey occur above lowera median coarse-grained,generally kaolinitic and seam in borehole 28 SW 64. grittynear its base, whereit is thickest. Top Busty Seam. The Top Busty (Pegswood North of Ashingtononly a few metres of Harvey,Widdrington Five-Quarter) Seam is mudstoneseparate the sandstone fromthe of variablequality and structure. It has seatearth of theTop Busty Coal. Tothe onlybeen worked inthe west (Figure 24), west of themajor sandstone the interval is but is presentthroughout much of the dominantlycomprised of mudstoneand districtand hasbeen explored extensively, siltstonewiththin intermediatea coal includingoffshore from Newbigginand developed locally. The seatearth and coal of Cambois where the coal is generally of good this intermediate seam overlie the sandstone quality, but thin. The seam is up to 154 cm west of Ashingtonandaredeveloped thickaveraging 60 cm, and with an ash elsewhere as a parting within it (Figure 23). contentin places low as 3%, although Locally, as inborehole 28 NW 39, aseries as more generally in the range 5 to--10%. of thin coals inthe upper part of the

37 +.

0 1 2 3 km -40- Isopach ofto BustyBottom t Scale lop Bustyinterval (thickness on metres)

Western limit of BottomBusty Seam at outcrop or fault

'e...

Sandstonein interval 10 to 15mthick I:.':.'..I.*

Sandstonein interval over 15m thick 8. *. :..a*.. '. a ,* . ;. *. . ,* .

6ORE OR SHAFT PROVING INTERVAL:

+ Median coal absent

o Median coal present

Sectionfigured in th-is report

._ Figure 23 Bottom BustySeam to Top Busty Seaminterval

38 8E

'EA

__ 86

___.

84

82 H

3w and Pigs

?aton Sea Rocks

0 1 2 3 km -50- Isopach of Top Busty Seam(cm) 2 (ornamented on low side of line) Scale

Western limit of seamat outcrop or fault

4- Boreorshaft penetrating coal (outside worked area)

Style of working

Area of totalextraction (goaf) NOTE: The seam has been Area of pillar andstall workings worked opencast in the currentlyactive Butterwell Site Area of opencast workings

Figure 24 Top Busty Seam (QI), coal thickness and workings 39 0 1 2 3 km -40- Isopach of Top Busty Beaumontto interval Scale (thickness in metres) -

Western limit of Top Busty Seamat outcrop or fault

Sandstone in interval 10 to 15m thick

..a,.. Sandstone in interval 15 to 20m thick . ** * *.* ** 1 .*. , ....*. *. *. 1.

Sandstone in intervalover 20m thick

+ Borehole Shaftor provinginterval

a Sectionfigured in this report

Figure 25 Top Busty Seam to BeaumontSeam interval

40 Pegswood B Pit Ashington 24/104 Choppington B Pit Mill Pit Blyth NZ28NW 116 NZ28NE 99 NZ28SW 9 NZ38SW 53 2286 8778 2538 8715 2308 8468 3276 8244 Metres -0 BEAUMONT (N) ...... e. BottomBeaumont /? ...... --m-'n-'mp ...... / ...... 10 ...... - ...... HODGE (0) / ...... :I : 1: ! :I : 1: ......

,!...... '.I. :...... TlLLN (P) ...... - 20 ...... /!W,I- ~;:;:;!;!qI...... , I...... e.. , ,I ...... ,im,e..,...... ,,.. ).:.:.:.:.::::I ...... I.*:.*.:.:.:.I ...... I ...... Bottom Tilley ...... a/ ...... P ...... - pr ...... 30 ...... I...... \ l;~~~~~[~;y.e. . ;p,r,,k,ey4see ...... pi,/...... TOP BUSTY (Q1 )

Figure 26 Top BustySeam to BeaumontSeam

Theoutcrop of theTop Busty north of TOP BUSTY TO BEAUMONT Morpeth is too far east for the coal to have The interval between these two major seams been easilyworked fromthe How Burn, as includesa number of coals whichvary in werelower seams (see Fowler, 1936), position,thickness andquality throughout although it was workedvery locally from thedistrict (Figures 25 and 26). The How Burn Drift [2084 86851. South of variation in the succession of strata makes it Morpeth it was mined, locally to crop, from difficultcorrelateto these intermediate Barmoor andHepscott Collieries as the seams withcertainty. The base of the Barmoor andHepscott seams respectively. Tilley(Widdrington Yard) group of coals TheTop Busty was probablythe seam hasbeen identified at between 4 and 20 m extracted from the Catchburn Colliery drifts abovethe Top Busty indifferent parts of north of Clifton [2032 83101, the thedistrict and a seam identified as the abandonment plan of 1921 listing the coal as Hodge is present at between 1.7 and 9.8 m 'probably Beaumont'. below the Beaumont. There is some The seam has beenworked more extensively uncertainty inthe Pegswood areawhere a from PegswoodChoppington the and seaminformally 'Bottomtermedthe Collieries. ChoppingtonAt theseamB Beaumont' Britishby Coal is also present containeda dirt band of 5 to 10 cmnear near the top of theinterval. the base in a total thickness of up to 96 cm. Thereare extensive washouts inthe seam offshoreimmediately tothe east of the districtand inland at the southern limit of the Pegswood workings [230 8701, (see Fowler, 1936). The seam is also washed out locally in boreholes at Ashington.

41 0 1 2 3 km -40- IsopachTopof Busty to Tilley interval r Scale (thickness in, metres,ticks on low sideof line)

Western limit of TopBusty Seam at outcrop or fault

E]Sandstone in interval 5 to 1 Om thick

.* I 10to 15m thick * : I Sandstone in interva

I over15m thick

BORE OR SHAFT PROVINGINTERVAL:

+ Mediancoal absent o Median coal present Sectionfigured in this report

Figure 27 Top Busty Seam to TilleySeam interval 42 Pegswood Ashington Bedlington D Mill Pit 0 Pit 24/104 No 88 Blyth NZ28NW 1 16 NZ28NE 99 NZ28SE 147 NZ38SW 53

2286 8778 2538 871 5 2570 8038 3276 8244 Metres ...... Possible equivalent of Bottom Tilley ...... l:::.:.::::;::l...... B...... I ...... :..I TOP BUSTY (Q1 )

For key see Figure 4

Figure 28 Top Busty Seam to Tilley Seam

Top Bustyto Tilley. Thisinterval is coals ratherthan to one particular seam, greatestnorth of Pegswood and east of partly owing to the difficulty of correlation Ashingtonand Blyth where fine-a to whereseriesa of coals of almostequal coarse-grained,cross-bedded, feldspathic thickness is present. The Tilley, particularly sandstonedominates the interval and in wherea thick top most seam is developed, places directly overlies and locally washes is sometimescalled theDenton Low Main out the Top Busty (Figures 27 and 28). The but is also knownin the district as the roof measures of theTop Busty are WiddringtonYard or Pegswood Band. The mudstonein much of thedistrict and these Tilley coals are least well developed inthe andsucceeding mudstones, where sandstone south-west of thedistrict being locally is thinor absent, are rich in plant remains, washed outnear Hepscott boreholesin acollection fromthe Pegswood Colliery is 28 SW 15 and 28 SW 38. listed by Fowler (1936). Carbonicola A TopTilley and BottomTilley were fragments have been recorded from the Top recognised duringthe Survey of 27 NW Busty roof inthe eastern part of thearea. (Jackson, Lawrence and Frost, 1985) and an Mussel fragmentshave also been foundin upper and lower coalpossibly equivalent to the roof mudstone of thehigher of two these arepresent locally inthe district, intermediate thin coals which are developed particularly inthe north-west, although the intermittentlyin the central portion of the lower coal has not been formally named. interval.Inthe Cambois/Blyth area and near Ashington a thin coal is present within 2 m of theTop Busty and has sometimes been included in the Busty Group by British Coal.

Tilley Seam. The nameTilley in this and otherdistricts (see Jackson, Lawrence and Frost, 1985) hasbeen applied to a group of

43 I 32

m Pomt

L3 outer ca.rrs

\ 8D

I I 84

ers

. Crab Law

0 1 2 3 km -50- Isopach of Tilley Seam(cm) Scale (ornamented on low side of line)

Westernlimit of seam at outcropor fault

Boreor shaft penetrating coal (outside worked area)

Style of working NOTE: Area of totalextraction (goaf) The seam has been worked opencast in the currentlyactive Area of pillar and stall workings Butterwell Site

Figure 29 Tilley Seam (P), coal thickness and workings

44 Longhirst No 59Bedlington Underground D Clover Hill West Mhington 25/22 Borehole Cambois Colliery NO 13 NZ38SW NZ28SE NZ28NW 9 , NZ28NE 96 22 75 2327 8985 2702 8724 3037 8154 8435 2530 kletres HODGE -0 - t 1.. 6 *.A :A . ...,...... IIIII TlLLEY i*'A..i.'b: 6. P ...... e...... , ...... P . . . . , . . - 10 . e...... I...... , . , . . . \ ...... - 20

- 30

For key see Figure 4

Figure 30 Tilley Seam to tiodge Seam

TheTilley was minedfrom Bedlington 'A' frommudstones higher in the interval only and,more recently, Ashington Collieries, in onefaunal record, of Naiadites sp. and thecentral part of thedistrict. Here the Carbonitahumilis in Cambois55borehole seamhas its thickestdevelopment, up to 112 (38 NW 54),has been reportedfrom the cm in 28 SE 12, andan average ash content roof of theTilley seam (as notedby Calver, of 10% (Figure 29). It is extracted as the in Land, 1974, p.38). Topand BottomWiddrington Yard in ButterwellOpencast. Elsewhere the Tilley is a very variable seam, it is generally thin, or of inferior quality with one or more dirt bands,although the clean coal commonly has an ash content of less than 9% and locally thickens to 60 cm or more.

Tilley Seam to Hodge Seam. Theapparent widethickness variation thein interval betweenthe Tilley and the Hodge (Figures 30 and 31) may in part reflect the difficulty of correlatingthe coals inthis part of the succession. In the east of the district the lower part of theinterval contains a thicksandstone, commonlyoverlain mudstonesby with seatearth.In many boreholes one or more thin coals aredeveloped between the topmostTilley andthe Hodge. The roof of the Tilleythe varies fromsandstone to mudstone,but although plants are noted

45 +

0 1 2 3 km -40- Isopach of TilleyHodgeinterval to d (thickness in metres,ticks on low side of line) Scale

Western limit of Tilley Seamat outcrop or fault

Sandstone in interval 5 to 1 Om thick ..

.... Sandstonein interval over 10m thick . e.

BORE OR SHAFT PROVINGINTERVAL:

+ Median coal absent

0 Median coal present

0 Sectionfigured in this report

Figure 31 Tilley Seam to Hodge Seam interval

46 0 1 2 3 km -50- Isopach of BeaumontSeam (cm) Scat e (ornamented on low side of line)

Western limit of seam at outcropor fault

-I- Bore or shaftpenetrating coal(outside worked area)

Style of working NOTE: Area of totalextraction (goat-) The seamhas been worked opencast in the currentlyactive Area of pillar and stall workings Butterwell Site

Figure 32 BeaumontSeam (N), coalthickness and workings

47 Hodge Seam to BeaumontSeam. A BEAUMONTHARVEYSEAMTO persistentseam which is present throughout MARINE BAND thedistrict from 1.7 to 10 m below the Theinterval between the Beaumont seam Beaumonthas been correlated with the andthe base of theHarvey Marine Band, Hodge of areasthetosouth (Jackson, which ranges from 10 to 25 m, is thickest in Lawrenceand Frost, 1985). Inboreholes the west of thearea where it is composed andshafts locally it hassometimes been mainly of a SE-trending 'channel' sandstone namedthe Stobswood Tilley or Tilley. The (Figures33 and 34). Variable strata make coalhasnotbeen mined andhas a upthe interval elsewhere, and the lower maximumthickness of 53cm (in borehole part is characterisedin many places by a 28 SE 147), with an average of 28 cm and is distinctiveshell-bedcontaining a of good quality near Ashington. The Hodge mussel-ostracodfauna, termed the Hopkins to Beaumontinterval is variablymudstone Band(see Land, 1974 fororigin of the to fine-grainedsandstone. The mudstones name). As noted by Land (1974,p.38) commonlycontain abundant root horizons considerablevariation exists in the distance andironstones are developed locally. In the separatingthe Beaumont Seam andthis north-west of the district an additional coal musselband;it occurs in the Beaumont roof is presentbetween theHodge and the wherethis is mudstone,but less commonly, Beaumont, up to 91 cm thick, and hasbeen can be separated from the Beaumont by up termedthe BottomBeaumont by British to 10 m of sandstone (e.g. inborehole Coal.Miospore analysis has been used by 38 NW 47). BritishCoal as anaid to identification of theBeaumont Seam atEllington Colliery to The Hopkins Band has not been recorded in the north of the district. all boreholes, although whether this is owing toits absence or to lack of observation is Beaumont Seam. TheBeaumont, Harvey in uncertain.Land (1974) describes in detail Durhamand some Northumberland mines, the faunal phases of the Hopkins Band; the ChoppingtonTop Bustylocally, has been combinedfauna from the band in this area workedextensively in the southern half of consists of:- Anthraconaia sp., Anthracosia thedistrict, the workings being bounded to regularis,Naiadites cf. flexuosus, N. aff. thenorth by the Stakeford fault. The seam quadratus, N. quadratus/ f lexuosus, is currently being mined under licence from Carbonita sp. and Geisinaarcuata. Inone Shadfen Park Drift [222 8571 (Figure 32). It borehole(Bedlington F underground was mined, alsoalmost crop,to from borehole, 28 SE 9) a further cycle above the Choppington 'A' Collieryin the west and HopkinsBandpresent is from which undersea from Bates Pitin the east. Local Naiadites aff. qucrdratus and Geisina washoutsare recorded on mine plans (e.g. arcuata have been obtained in the roof of a atNorth Farm [2410 85281 andnorth-east coalhorizon 6 mabove the Hopkins Band. of Bluehouse Wood [247 8411). The seam Thedevelopment of coala - seatearth has been 'cindered' by Whin dyke intrusions betweenthe Beaumont and Harvey Marine atNetherton and east of Hepscott.In the Band isrelatively common, locally three areaworked, thecoal was commonly coal - seatearthhorizons are present. The banded,with a total thickness of upto 130 stratain the upper part of theinterval cm.Elsewhere theseam is extremely generallycomprise mudstones and siltstones variableboth inthickness and structure, withrelatively abundant plant remains. althoughthe ash content of cleancoal is Underlyingthe Harvey Marine Band are generallyunder 10% and of sulphur less seatearthswith one or two thin coals.In than 3%. Where boththe Top and Bottom places inthe east of thedistrict these Beaumontcoals have been identified it is seatearths are noticeably green in colour; in theupper seam which is of betterquality. brown. are they places other Sphaerosideriteor small pyrite aggregates havebeen recorded in some (e.g. boreholes 28 NE 102).

48 0 1 2 3km -40- Isopach of toBeaumont s H arvey Marine Band interval Scale interval Band Marine Harvey (thickness in metres,ticks on low side of line)

Westernlimit of 6eaumontSeam at outcrop or fault

/I /I Sandstone in interval 5 to 1 Om thick

Sandstone in interval 10 to 15m thick

..a* a.

. , ...... Sandstone in interval over 15m thick El. , . . . . . *.. e.... *. e.

BORE OR SHAFT PROVING INTERVAL:

+ Mediancoal absent

0 Median coal present

0 Sectionfigured in thisreport

Figure 33 Beaumont Seam to Harvey Marine 6and interval

49 Bedlington F Coneygarth Ashington 21/34 ~~~~~~~~d collie,,, Gordon Road Blyth NZ28NW 64 NZ28NE 102 NZ28SE 9 NZ38SW 11 2399 0748 2653 0808 2693 a473 3170 8054 Metres HARVEY MARINE BAND

-...... I ...... I ...e...... I ...... , ...... a...... 8 ...... , . . 10 ...... os ...... ,...... ,.e...... , ...... , 20 .e...... a...... ,...... I .... 30 BEAUMONT [- I FcIr key se Fi!Jure 4

Figure 34 Beaumont Seam to Harvey Marihe Band

50 Bedlington D Ashington Colliery StakcfordBridge Bore Colliery GordonRoad Blyth NZZBNW 126 NZ28NE 56 NZ28SE 77 bKd3SW 11 3170 8054 2428 8852 2749 8594 2550 8060 Metres BOTTOM PLESSEY (M) -0 'r"'".icl.li.":l- .. . . , . . . .

- 10 HARVEY MARINE BAND

- 20

- 30

For key see Figure 4

Figure 35 Harvey Marine Band to Bottom Plessey

HARVEYMARINE BAND TO BOTTOM A. cf. phrygiana form),(short PLESSEY SEAM A. cf. subrecta, Anthracosphaerium cf. affine, Naiadites cf. f lexuosus, The Harvey(Vanderbeckei) Marine Band, N. quadratus, N. quadratus/ f lexuosus, the base of whichmarks the base of the N. triangularis. Middle Coal Measures, was first recorded in theNorthumberland Coalfield by Hopkins Thefossiliferous mudstones overlying the (1934, p. 186) from Bates Pit [3062 82281 in Harvey Marine Band are succeeded in much thepresent district. Themarine band of the district by sandstone (Figures 35 and consists of verydark grey to blackshale, 36). finelymicaceous, inplaces slightly silty, and is generallybetween 30 and 100 cm Bottom PlesseySeam. The Bottom Plessey thick.It has not beenrecorded allin or Ruler (Cheevely of Land, 1974) ranges in boreholes, althoughin many cases this is thickness from 6 to 96 cm, averaging 58 cm probablydue tocollection failure rather and is bestdeveloped inthe north-east of thanabsence. Themarine band is overlain thedistrict where it was worked from by mudstoneswith an abundant fauna and Ashington,Woodhorn and Bates Collieries in drawingFigures 33 to 36 themarine fortwenty years upto 1980 (Figure 37). band has beentaken at the base of these The Bottom Plessey is generallygooda mudstoneswhen it is notspecifically quality,clean coal with anash content recorded. usuallybelow 8Y0, thesulphur content is Only Lingula mytilloides has been recovered variableand ranges up to 2.5%; locallya fromthemarine phase. Theoverlying thindirt band is present. The seam is non-marinestrata contain avaried fauna absent froman argillaceous part of the including Anthraconaia sp. successionshown in boreholesnear (aff. modiolaris?), Anthracosia aquilina, Choppington (28 NW 79,82,83, and 84), A. aquilina/phrygiana, A. cf. disjuncta, although it was probablynot developed A. ovum, A. ovum/aquilina, A. cf. phrygiana, ratherthan worked out. The--seam was

51 0 1 2 3 km -40- Isopach of HarveyMarine 6andto BottomPlessey Seam -Scale (thickness in metres,ticks on low side of line)

Westernlimit of HarveyMarine Band atoutcrop or fault

....'**. Sandstone in interval 10 to 15m thick

+ Bore or shaft provinginterval

0 Sectionfigured in this report

Figure 36 Harvey Marine 6and to Bottom Plessey Seam 52 0 1 2 3 km -40- Isopach of 60ttomPlessey Seam (cm) ' (ornamented .on low side of line) Scale

Western limit of searnat outcrop or fault

Boreor shaft penetrating coal (outside worked area)

Style of working

Area of totalextraction (goof) NOTE: The searn has been Area of pillar andstall workings worked opencast in the currentlyactive ButterwellSite ...... Area of op en cast w orkin g s

Figure 37 Bottom Plessey Seam (M), coal thickness andworkings

53 + -I-

+ + +

0 1 2 3 km

-40- Isopach of BottomPlessey toPlessey interval Scale (thickness in metres,ticks on low side of line) - Outcrop of BottomPlessey Seam at outcrop or fault

F]Sandstone in interva I 5 to 1 Om thick 1'. ...I

Sandstone in interva 1 over 1Om' thick *.,.

BORE OR SHAFT PROVING INTERVAL:

+ Median coal absent

0 Median coal present

0 Sectionfigured in this report

Figure 38 Bottom PlesseySeam to PlesseySeam interval

54 Longhirst Lane Longhirst . Choppington A Ashington Colliery Mill Pit No 3 20/26 AnnePit NZ28NW 6 NZ28NE 146 NZ28SE 67 NZ38SW 129 2216 8997 2773 8885 2505 8404 3173 8112 tvletres -0 PLESSEY (L) .... -.-.-.-.-.-.*l*l*’*l*-. -. -...... -. -. -...... (::::::.I ...... / ...... ::::::. ::::::. P ...... -m...., , , ...... - 10 ...... / ...... BOlTOM PLESSEY (M) ...... / - 20

- 30

For key see Figure 4

Figure 39 Bottom Plessey seam to Plessey Seam

workedopencast atClimbing Tree [226 it was firstmined near its outcrop (Land, 8641, whereit was 50 cmthick, it is 1974; Jackson,Lawrence and Frost, 1985). currently at the worked Butterwell Opencast BritishCoal name the seam the Hutton (L) Site. onmine plans (not the Hutton of Land, 1974, see below). The seamis generally of BOTTOM PLESSEY TO PLESSEY good qualitywithout dirt bands, averaging 76 cm inthickness and with ash content The strata above the Bottom Plessey include usually 6 to 8Oh, but locally risingto 10%. mudstones,siltstones and sandstones. To Sulphur content is less than 1.5%. The seam the south-east of the district, offshore from is thickestin the south-east of thearea Cambois,the Plessey and Bottom Plessey wheredirt bands are more common, but come togetherand have been worked as a falls to less than 12 cm in the north (Figure unitedseam. The interval between the two 40). seamsincreases northwards to 17.1 mat Ashington (e.g. in borehole 28 NE 146) and betweenAshington and Pegswood is composedmainly of sandstone (Figures 38 and 39). additionalAn coal-seatearth horizon is presentinthe centre of the intervalwhereit has thickestits development,this coal was worked as the Middle Plessey (20 cmthick) in. Climbing Tree opencast site [226 8641.

Plessey Seam. The Plessey (Top Plessey) Seam has beenwrought extensively throughoutthe district. Ittakes itsname froma locality [240 7901 known as Plessay or Plessy to the south of the district, where

55 0 1 2 3 km 3 -75- Isopach ofPlessey Seam (cm) Scale

Western limit ofseam at outcrop or fault

+ Boreorshaft. penetrating coal (outside worked area)

Style of working NOTE: Areaof total extraction (goaf) Theseam -has been workedopencast inthe currently active Areaof pillar and stall workings ButterwellSite

Figure 40 Plessey Seam (L), coalthickness and workings

56 0 1 2 3 km Isopach of Plessey to 3 -40- Scale Northumberland Low Maininterval (thickness in metres,ticks on low side of line)

Western limit of Plessey Seamat outcrop or fault

Sandstone in interval 5 to 1 Om thick

Sandstone in interval 10 to 15m thick

Sandstone in interval over 15m thick

BORE OR SHAFT PROVINGINTERVAL:

* Median coalabsent

0 Median coalpresent

Section figured in this report

Figure 41 P lessey Seam to Northumberland Low Main Seam interva 1 57 Bore near AshingtonColliery W Sleekburn No 72 Hall Pit Nethedon Cambois Colliery NZ28NE 146 NZ28SE 3 NZ28SW 56 NZ38SW 26 2315 0177 3212 8467 2773 8885 2848 0497 Metres NORTHUMBERLAND LOW MAIN (K) I m$ .. A.. 3 ..A :A# .,'. , ...... BROOMHILL MAIN ...... PlesseyShell Bed ...... PLESSEY (L) ...... l,lI'll...... \I

For key see Figure 4

Figure 42 PlesseySeam to Northumberland Low Main Seam

PLESSEY TO NORTHUMBERLAND LOW form), A. cf. retrotracta, MAIN Anthracosphaerium cf. turgidum,Naiadites quadratus. A seatearthappears locally Thisinterval (Figures 41 and 42) ranges betweenthese two mussel bands. In places from 13 m to 37 m and throughout much of a sandstone a overlies fossiliferous the thedistrict is dividedby an intermediate mudstonesand locally atChoppington and coal, herecorrelated with, and named, the Pegswood it occupiesthe entire interval. BroomhillMain. This is equivalentto the Thethin seatearth of the BroomhillMain Hutton of Land (1974, p. 30). Theupper usuallyoverlies thesandstone. Offshore part of theinterval is markedby presence fromCambois thin- bedded micaceous of a thick sandstone in the north-west. sandstonemakes uptheentire interval betweenthe Plessey andNorthumberland PlesseySeam to Broomhill Main Seam. LowMain seams, although thinshale This interval, ranging in thickness from 5 to partingsmidway theintervalin may 17 m is mainly comprised of mudstones and representthehorizon of the Broomhill siltstones withthin sandstones developed Main.Elsewhere (e.g. borehole in locally and ranges in thickness from 5to 38 NW 56 atNorth Seaton)mudstonea I7 m. Land (1974, p.48) notedthat two separatesthe upper and lower sandstones fossiliferoushorizons may occur above the where seatearth or coal is not developed. Plessey Seam, theupper containing a prolificfauna and sometimes referred to as the 'Plessey Shell Bed'. The lowerhorizon contains Anthracosia ovum and A. phrygiana, whilst the upper contains a combined fauna consisting of- Anthraconaia cf. curtata, A. modiolaris, A. cf. salteri, Anthracosia aquilina, A. aquilina/phrygiana, A. cf. beaniana, A. cf. disjuncta, A. ovum, A. phrygiana, A. cf. phrygiana (short

58 + ++ +

+

+

0 1 2 3 km -40- Isopach of f3roomhill Main to Scale Northumberland Low MainSeam . (thickness in metres)

Western limit of Broomhill Main Seam at outcrop or fault

F]Sandstone in interva I 5 to 1 Om thick

I over 10m thick

+ Borehole or Shaftproving interval

Figure 43 BroomhillMain Seam to Northumberland Low Main Seam

59 88

EA

84

82 H

ow and P~gs

eaton Sea Rocks

0 1 2 3 km -50- Isopach of Scale Northumberland Low Main Seam(cm)

Western limit of seamat outcrop or fault

Boreor shaftpenetrating coal (outside worked area)

Style of working

Area of totalextraction (goaf) NOTE: The seamhas been Area of pillar and stall workings worked opencast in the currently active Bwkterwell Site

...... I...... I...... a,...... Area of opencast workings

Figure 44 Northumberland Low Main Seam (K), coal thickness and workings

60 NORTHUMBERLAND LOW MAINTO Broomhill Main Seam. The seam is washed DURHAM LOW MAIN outnear Cambois and atNetherton, but otherwisecan betraced throughout the Theinterval between the two 'Low Main' districtwith an average thickness of 19 cm seamsranges from as little as 2 m up to and amaximum of 92cm. It is of much 20 m, (Figures 45 and 46). Stratain this less importancethan the equivalent Hutton intervalvary widely, in the north-west of Seam of the Tynemouth district to the south thedistrict the twoseams areseparated by (Land, 1974) and hasnot been mined. The onlya few metresof mudstone, whereas in seamincreases in thicknessagain north of the east thereare at leasttwo intermediate Ashingtonand was worked as theDuke in cycles in which thin coals are developed. theWiddrington - Broomhillarea. isIt currentlyextracted from theButterwell Inthe west of thedistrict the roofof the Opencast Site. NorthumberlandMain Low is unfossiliferous, though in the Ashington No Broomhill Main Seam to Northumberland 2 undergroundborehole (28 NE 27) Low Main Seam. Theinterval ranges from Anthracosia phrygiana, Anthracosphaerium 4 to 20 m (Figure 43). It is composed turgidum and Naiadites cf. productus were dominantly of mudstoneeast of Ashington collected. Inthe east the roof is generally and Bedlington where the measures are thin blackshale, canelly in many places. Fish and of sandstonebetween Ashington and debris occurs in the mudstone roof of a thin Pegswood wherethe interval is thickest. coal up to2 m above the Northumberland Where mudstonesdominantare they LowMain inthe Newbiggin area (e.g. commonlycontain abundant plant remains. borehole 38 NW 43a). At Newshamon the Avariable fauna hasbeen recovered from southernedge of thedistrict the the roof of the BroomhillMain Seam, [300 8001 canellyshale contains thenoted "Newsham mainly aroundNorth Seaton (Land, 1974, fauna",a varied fish and amphibian fauna p.54). fauna The comprises:- firstdescribed byAtthey (1870); Land Anthraconaia sp.(salteri group?) A. cf. (1974) detailsthe fauna and lists further williamsoni, Anthracosia cf. aquilina, A. cf. referencesdescribing the occurrence. The beaniana,A.ovum/ phrygiana,A.phrygiana, shale or 'brat'roof of theseam was Asubrecta, Anthracosphaeriumexiguum, A. formerly extensively used in the production exiguum/turgidum, A. cf. turgidum, of bricks at Pegswood (Fowler, 1936, Naiadites productus/quadratus. p. 139). Thetopmost part of theinterval contains a In the east a thin coal, known locally the seatearthand, unusually, one or two thin as 'Cambois Little' occurs some 5 to 8 m above coals beneaththeNorthumberland Low theNorthumberland Low Main and is Main. probably equivalent to the 'Whitley Seam' of Land (1974, p.61). Intermediatestrata are Northumberland Low Main Seam. The largely greymudstones withironstone NorthumberlandLow Main has been the nodules and localsandstones. A prominent most extensively worked seam in the district musselbandcommonly known theLow suchthat over largea part of thearea as MainShell Bed (Truemanand Weir, 1951, resources areexhausted (Figure 44). It p. 116)overlies the 'Cambois Little' coal or averages 120 cmand exceeds inm 2 its presumed position where absent. thickness locally. Thestructure and quality of the seam vary and it commonly contains Thecombined fauna from the horizon is:- at least onethin dirt band. However, the Anthraconaia cf. irvinensis, A. aff. quality is generally good and in at least one pulchella, A. sp.(salteri group?), A. aff. borehole (28 NW 27), where the ash content pulchella, A. cf. aquilina, was less than hasbeen described as 390, A. aquilina/phrygiana, A. aff. barkeri, A. superlative. beaniana, A. carissima, A. disjuncta, A. c f. ovum, A. ovum/phrygiana, A. phrygiana, A. retrotracta, Anthracosphaerium affine, A. cf. exiguum, A. cf. turgidum,Naiadites cf. productus, N. aff. quadratus, N. cf. triangularis.

61 +

0 1 2 3 km -40- Isopach of Northumberland Low Main to Scale (Top) Durham Low Main interval (thickness in metres)

Western limit of Northumberland Low Main Seamat outcrop or fault

Sandstone in interval 5 to lorn thick

Sandstone in interval over 1 Om thick

f Boreholeor Shaft proving interval

0 Sectionfigured in this report

Figure 45 Northumberland Low Main Seam to (Top) Durham Low MainSeam interval

62 Borehole NW of North Scaton Horton Grange Gordon Road Longhirst Station Surface No 165 No 19 Blyth Borehole

NZ28NW 12 NZ28NE 49 NZ28SE 103 . NZ38SW 1 1

3 1 ' 8054 2360 8957 2971 8675 2696 8048 70 Metres -0 DURHAM LOW MAIN (J) ......

NORTHUMBERLAND LOW MAIN (K) 1;::::...... p - 10 ...... /- \ ...... 'I...... -/ \u- 20

- 30

For key see Figure 4

Figure 46 Northumberland Low MainSeam to Durham Low Main Seam interval

L

Notably thefaunas from theironrich juncta,dis A. aff. phrygiana, A. cf. developments differfrom thoseoccurring in sirnulans, Naiadites cf. productus, N. moremuddy sediments. Anthraconaia cf. productus/quadratus, irvinensis and Anthracosia aff. barkeri are N. quadratus/ f lexuosus. confined to the ironstone developments, and theforms determined as Anthraconaia There is some doubt as tothe correlation of aff. pulchella, A. aff. williamsoni andtheEllington seam thepresentin district Anthracosia carissima werecollected from (see below). pale sedimentsgreyotherwise not represented inthe collections fromthis horizon.

Thefossiliferous strata also includebeds and nodulesofshelly ironstone probably equivalent to the Whitley Ironstone of Land (1974, p.62). It was probablythis ironstone which was minedfrom pits west of Netherton [233 8231 supply tothe Bedlington ironworks (see Part I, Section 4.4).

Siltymudstones sandstoneand occur between the mussel bandand the highest fossiliferoushorizon in thisinterval which occursabove the Ellington seam of Land (1974, p.62) and contains a less varied fauna consisting of- Anthraconaia cf. cymbula, Anthracosia cf. caledonica, A. aff.

63 -50- Isopach of Durham Low Mainand Top Durham Low MainSeams (cm) 0 1 2 3 km Western limit of seamat outcrop or fault Scale Approximateline of split in seam - (spliton ornamented side of line) + Boreor shaft penetratingcoal (outside workedarea)

Style of working

Area of totalextraction (goaf) NOTE: The seamhas been Area of pillarand stall workings workedopencast in thecurrently active ButterwellSite Area of opencastworkings

Figure 47 Durham Low Main (J) and Top Durham LowMain (JI) seams, coalthickness andworkings 64 Durham Low Main Seam. In lower leaf, 0.4 to 8.5below m upper,the Northumberlandthe Durham Low Main is averaged 25 cmwith a maximumthickness generallyknown asthe 'Five-Quarter'; the of 64cm. The Bottom DurhamLow Main Durhamname is used inthis report in hasbeen mined only fromHorton Grange continuitywith that used inthe Tynemouth Colliery in two smallworkings near Bebside. DistrictbyLand (1974) andavoidto confusionwith 'Five-Quarter' where used higher in the succession. In a few instances locally around Netherton and Ashington the seamhas been named the 'Six-Quarter'. The seamis banded almost throughoutthe districtand commonly consists of Topand Bottomleaves of thicker coal,usually with intermediatethinner coals. In a few localities (e.g. nearPegswood) the seam occurs as a single, united seam up to 188 cm inthickness and in others asa group of coals of equalthickness. The largerange in coal andinter-coal thickness variation makes correlation of individual coals very difficult. Where thetop and bottom leaves of coal are sufficiently distinct, particularly in thenorth-east and south of thedistrict, theyhave been identified as theTop and Bottom DurhamMainLow coals respectively (Figure 47).

In the west of thedistrict where the individual coals are less distinct.Analysis of thethickness of thevarious leaves and the intervalthe between themtheand NorthumberlandLow Main Seam suggests possible correlations.First that the Top DurhamLow Main, the thicker and more persistentseam, is equivalentto much, if not all, of the succession represented by the bandedDurham Low Main inthe west. Second, that the Bottom Durham Low Main is anadditional seam or splitoffthe DurhamLow Main, possiblyequivalent to the Ellington of Land (1974, p.63). It is apparentthattherelationship of the Ellingtonto the Durham Low Main will only be elucidated by a survey of the strata to the north of the district.

The(Top) Durham Low Main has been minedextensively in the central portion of thedistrict andworkingsin west of Pegswood was known locallyas the 'Band Coal'. It has also beenopencasted near Pegswood andfrom ClimbingTree; inthe lattertheseam was 64 cmthick. At Howardopencast site [235 8251 thetop leaf of the Durham Low Main, which contained old pillar andstall mineworkings, ranged from 0.62 to 1.04 m inthickness with an impersistentthin mudstone parting. The

65 +

0 1 2 3 km -40- Isopach of Durham Low Main Seam 1 Scale to BenshamSeam (thickness in metres)

Western limit of Durham Low MainSeam at outcrop or fault

Sandstone in intervalover 1 Om thick

+ Borehole or Shaftproving interval

e Sectionfigured in thisreport

Figure 48 (Top) Durham Low mainSeam to (Bottom)Bensham Seam interval 66 Langhirst North Seatan Clover Hill West Choppington B Surfoce No 165 Ncwbiggin Colliery 26/6 NZ28NW 9 NZ28SW 7 NZ28NE 49 NZ38NW 45 3266 8781 2327 8985 2425 8489 2971 8675 Metres -0 (BOTTOM) BENSHAM ------...... ------I.:.:.:.:.:.::I ------...... e------I.:.:::.::::./...... - 10 ...... DURHAM LOW MAIN ...... (J> ...... - 20 ......

P - 30

For key see Figure 4

Figure 49 Durham Low Main Seam to Bensham Seam

DURHAM LOW MAIN TO BENSHAM theeast of itscrop (Figure 50). Inthe end the Bensham, likethe Durham Low Main, The Durham Low Main to Bensham interval occurs as twodistinct leaves identified as ranges from 5 to 22 m (Figures 48 and 49). theTop and Bottom Bensham. Inthe rest, The roof measuresof the (Top) Durham however, it is single,only aalbeit Low Main, where mudstone, contain a poor commonlybanded, unit. BottomThe fauna of Anthracosia aff. nitida, A. ovum, Benshamis apparentlythe more persistent A. phrygiana, A. cf. phrygiana (short of thetwo seams. TheTop Bensham form), A. aff. retrotracta,Naiadites cf. probablyrepresents a split from the lower productus, N. quadratus/productus. A seam,but is thethicker of thetwo in the further mussel band 3 to 6 m higher in the eastof the area. The (Bottom) Bensham sequencecontains a poorly preserved fauna seamis up to170 cmthick, but is more dominatedby Naiadites cf. productus, commonly between 64 and 97 cm and tends although Anthracosia sp. may also be tobe of variably quality. The seam was present.Unusually for the Northumberland extractedby opencast methods at asmall coalfield,over much of thedistrict the site at Pegswood Moor and at Climbing Tree intervalcomprises mudstone and siltstone inthe north, and at Howard Site in the with only subordinate sandstone (Haszeldine, south,although it washedwas out 198 1, p.138). Thethick medium- to extensively atHoward. The Top Bensham coarse-grainedsandstone in the east of the also has a maximum thickness of about 170 area isa continuation of theTable Rocks cm,but averages 70 cm.It has been Sandstone(Lebour and Smythe, 1906) well workedin the south of thedistrict from exposedon the coast just south of the Bedlington ’D’ Hortonand Grange district (Land, 1974, p.66). Collieries, and to a limited extent from pits nearthe coast (Figure 51). Theseam was Bensham Seam. The Bensham(Maudlin of too thin to work in the region of a washout CountyDurham) has workedbeen atHoward Opencast Site, but thickens to extensivelyin the centre of thedistrict to thesouth and was workedopencast to crop

67 -25- Isopach of Bensharnand BottomBensham seams (cm) 0 1 2 3 krn

Scale Western limit of seamat outcrop or fault

Approximateline of split in seam (spliton ornamented side of line)

+ Boreor shaft penetrating coal (outside worked area)

Style of working

Area of totalextraction (goaf)

Area of pillarand stall workings

...... I...... ,...... e...... Area of opencast workings LII......

Figure 50 Bensham (H) and Bottom Bensham (HZ) seams, coalthickness and workings

68 50 Isopach of Top BenshamSeam (cm) (ornamented on low side of line) 0 1 2 3 km

Scale Western limit of seamat outcrop or fault

Approximate line of split in seam 1(split on ornamented side of line) Bore orshaft penetrating coal(outside worked area)

Style of working

Area of totalextraction (goaf)

Area of pillar an a stall workings

...... Area of opencast workings

Figure 51 Top Bensham Seam (HI), coal thickness and workings

69 0 1 2 3 km -40- Isopach of (Bottom)Bensham to Yard intewal Scale (thickness in metres) -

Western limit of BenshamSeam at outcrop or fault

F]Sandstone in interval 5 to 1 Om thick a.

Sandstone in interval 10 to 15m thick

Sandstone in interval 15 to 20 mthick *( ., . . . . *. . *. . . *. ,e .... ** * *..

Sandstone in interval over 20m thick

+ Bore or Shaftproving interval

a Section figured in this report

Figure 52 Bensham Seam to Yard Seam interval

70 Ashington Colliery Ncwbiggin Colliery Francis Pit 15.5ft PitCambois Carl Downcast 26/3 Netherton Collary NZ28NE 31 NZ38NW 43 a NZ38SW 20 NZ28SW 35 2654 8806 3128 8782 3029 8467 2464 8274 Metres YARD (G) 1 -0 ...... -...... - 10 ...... e..,...... ,.. :::: ...... 20 .e..,.. - ...... - 30 ...... For key see ...... Figure 4 ...... BOTTOM BENSHAM(H)I w Figure 53 BenshamSeam to Yard Seam

atHoward House and Poland Sites. The seams. The main leaf was named the Seaton seamgenerally is not of very good quality SluiceSandstone by Land (1974, p.72) and withan ash contentcommonly exceeding is equivalent to the ’Queen’ Sandstone found 10%. furthernorth in Northumberland. It locally cutsdown through and washes out the Top BENSHAM TO YARD Benshamgenerally istofine- It Sandstonedominates the measures between coarse-grainedwith coarse-graineda and the (Bottom)the Bensham andtheYard, sometimespebbly base. Land (1974) and commonlymaking upover 60% of the Haszeldine (1 98 1) describe the petrography succession. Theinterval rangesin thickness of thisand the underlying ’Table Rocks from 19 to 42 m,with amean of29 m Sandstone’. theIn Pegswood areathe (Figures 52 and 53). sandstone was quarriedat several localities andtheunderlying Bensham seam was The roof of the (Bottom)Bensham has known as the’Quarry Coal’, probably yieldeda fauna,during the present survey, because it lay beneaththe thick quarried of Anthracosia cf. lateralis and A. cf. sandstone. Up to fourthin intermediate ovum, andthat of theTop Bensham coal orseatearth horizons are developed in Anthraconaiapulchella, A. aff. varians, theinterval, but do not persist and cannot Anthracosia cf. caledonica,A. cf. correlatedbe with anycertainty. The carissima, A. cf. disjuncta, A. cf. nitida, faunas described from the upper part of the A. aff. ovum,Anthracosphaerium cf. intervalin the Tynemouth district (Land propinquum,Naiadites cf. obliquus. This 1974, p.74) havenot been recorded during assemblage is verysimilar to that identified this Survey. by Calverand listed by Land(1974, p.70). Thesandstone comprises a main leaf which overlies theTop Bensham,where present, and a thinner, lower leaf,which is present betweenthe Topand BottomBensham

71 0' 1 2 3 km -50- Isopach of Yard Seam (cm) Scale

Western limit of seamat outcrop or fault

+ Boreor shaft penetratingcoal (outside worked are,a)

Style of working

Area of totalextraction- (goaf)

Area of pillar and stall workings

a*...... Area of opencast workings

Figure 54 Yard Seam (G), coal thickness andworkings

72 Woodhorn Estate Newbiggin Colliery West SleekburnHumford Mill No 1 No 26/6 No 72 Bedlington No 2 NZ28NE 5 NZ38NW 45 NZ28SE 3 NZ28SE 101 2871 a919 3266 8781 2848 a497 2652 8057 Metres BENTINCK (Gl)

YARD (G)

...... , . . . . , ...... , ...... , . . . , . , ...... I...... e ,..e., , ...... e..... e...... e...... ,...... , . . , ,....., . . . . . n. . . , . , .

Fpr key see Flgure 4

Figure 55 Yard Seam to Bentinck Seam interval

Yard Seam. The Yardhas been mined to of these sites. crop over practically the entire district with YARD TO BENTINCK much of the working prior to nationalisation in 1947 (Figure 54). Fowler (1936, p.73) TheYard to Bentinck interval is generally notes, "it (theYard) is ahot coal, burns between 9 and 12 m, butranges from a veryfreely and brightly, leaveslittle ash maximum of 20 m toonly 3 m north of andthat brown and heavy;these features Woodhorn (Figures 55 and 56). Over most make itin great demand as ahouse coal, of thearea the Bentinck hasamudstone perhapsindeed thebesttheCoalin roof,thecombined fauna from which Measures". Evenin 1936 the Yard was consists of- Anthraconaia sp. (aff. largely wroughtoutaround Ashington. varians?),Anthracosia cf. aquilina. Todaythe epithets used todescribe the Trmmanand Weir nonSowerby, A. aff. Yardcoal qualityinclude "very good", caledonica, Anthracosphaerium sp., Naiadites "exceptionally good", and "usualsuperlative cf. obliquus, N. productus. In a veryfew quality". The ashcontent is generally less boreholessandstone overlies theseam and than 4% andsulphur content below 1.7Y0, aroundBedlington makes upthe entire however, the coal is commonly only weakly interval. Theinterval is thickest where the caking. The seam is usually between 74 and sandstone is bestdeveloped. theIn 96 cmthick and free from dirt bands, Humford Mill No. 2 Borehole (28 SE 101) although a thin dirt band has been recorded over 10 ofm lightgrey fine-grained nearthe top of the seam. The Yard was sandstonewere recorded; elsewhere the most recentlyworked, inthe 1950's and sandstone is fine- tomedium-grained and 19603, in seriesa of opencastsites on in places cross-bedded.Shaly strata with 28 SW (e.g. Howard,Howard House, thin ironstone bands and nodules are usually Poland andRed House) wherean area of presenttowards the top of theinterval coalremained between the seam outcrop abovethe sandstone and in a few placesa and the limit of deep mining; old pillar and thinshaly unit is developedwithin the stallworkings were encountered in several topmost part of thesandstone. A- thin coal

73 0 1 2 3 km Isopach of Yard to Bentinckinterval 1 -40- Scale (thickness in metres,ticks on low side of line)

Westernlimit of Yard Seamat outcrop or fault

I:::: I:::: **I Sandstone in interval 5 to 10m thick

Sandstone in interval 10 to 15m thick a... *. * **

+ Bore or Shaftproving interval

Sectionfigured in this report

Figure 56 Yard Seam to BentinckSeam interval 74 8t

EA

~ 86

~_

84

82 H

IW and Pigs

!aton Sea Rocks

0 I 2 3 km -50- Isopach of BentinckSeam (cm) 2 (ornamented on lowside of line) Scale

Westernlimit of seam at outcrop or fault

f Boreshaftor penetrating coal (outside worked area)

Style of working

Areaof total extraction (goaf)

Areaof pillar and stall workings

...... *...... I...... Areaof opencast workings ...... EZl ...... I...... +

0 1 2 3 km -40- Isopachof Bentinck to Five-Quarter interval Scale (thickness in metres)

Westernlimit of BentinckSeam at outcrop or fault

f Borehole or Shaftproving interval

Sectionfigured in this report

Figure 58 BentinckSeam to Five-Quarter Seam interval 76 seatearthoccurs near the base of the shaly RELATIONS OF COAL SEAMS BETWEEN unitin the area between Choppington and THE BENTINCKSEAM AND THE HIGH Bedlington. MAIN MARINE BAND The nature of this part of the succession has BentinckSeam. TheBentinck (Top Yard) been well summarised by Land (1974, p.76); Seam hasbeen mined from Pegswood, theintroductory noteswhich follow have Ashington and WoodhornCollieries towards been adapted from his summary. thenorthern edge of thedistrict. It hasa maximum recorded thickness of 1 12 cm in a Between theBentinck Seam andthe High borehole at BarringtonColliery (28 SE 29), Main Marine Band there are five coal seams but is usually less than 70 cm andover with complex relationships.complexIn with much of thedistrict is less than 40 cm stratigraphical order, they are: (Figure 57). Boththickness and quality deterioratetowards the south-east and at High Main Marine Band Bedlington the seam is impoverished and of High Main Marine Band Seam a poornature. addition aIn the to Ashington Seam mineworkings inthe north the seam has High Main Seam beenworked opencast near crop inthe Metal Seam south-west; at HowardOpencast Site it Five-Quarter Seam ranged from 54 to 81 thick.cm Bentinck Seam In different areas, different pairs or triplets of theseseams come together,either to coalesce orto beseparated by a parting so thinthat they maybe mined together. The Ashingtonand the three seamsbelow are subject to extensive washouts.

Stratigraphicalvariation is particularly marked in a N-S direction between Bebside andBedlington Station: theMetal and Five-Quarterdiverge northwards, as dothe HighMain and High Main Marine Band seams. The HighMain and Metal converge inthe same direction, while theAshington Seam appearsabove the High Main and approachesthe High Main Marine Band Seam. The HighMain,Metal and Five-Quarterconvergeall south of Bedlington,where theinChurch Lane Borehole E2608 8 1 121 thethree are represented by 6 m of coalin 12 leaves within 10 m of strata.These seams also cometogether east of Lynemouthto the north of the district.

Localnomenclature is as complex as the stratigraphy, ’Metal’ and’Five-Quarter’ are essentially northDurham names: in Northumberlandthese seams aregenerally known as ’Top Main’ and ’Bottom Main’ respectively.North of theRiver Wansbeck theAshington Seam takes onthe name ’High Main’ andthe High Main becomes known as ’Top Main’ or ’New Main’ (see Table 3).

77 North Staton Near River Wansbeck Hurnford Mill New Shaft Surface No 164 Choppington Bedlington No 2 NZ28NE 1 NZ28NE 48 NZ28NW 93 NZ28SE 101 2652 8057 2647 8953 29 10 8659 2453 8539 Metres FIVE-QUARTER -0 *-...... -. , :. -. I...... ID ...... , pj...... ' :::::: P ::.:. IR 1 1' ...... - 10 .. I*:::::::.:.::/...... / ...... BENTINCK - 20

- 30

For key see Figure 4

Figure 59 Bentinck Seam to five-QuarterSeam

BENTINCKFIVE-QUARTER TO decreases southtowards Bedlington (Figure 60). Thetop part of theseam is probably Thisinterval is generallybetween and8 erodedtowards theextensive washouts 11 mthick, but ranges from 5to 16 m which are recorded between Bomarsund and (Figures 58 and 59). There is no distinct BedlingtonStation andbetween Humford relation intervalin thickness variation Mill and New Delaval. betweenthe top of theBentinck Seam and the base of Five-Quarterthe Seam, accordingto whether the latter is separated from,or united with, the overlying Metal Seam. Where thickest,the interval contains a sandstone, but over much of the district it is dominated by mudstonesand siltstones. In the east of thedistrict dark shales overlyingtheBentinck Seam commonly containfish debris and are succeeded by mudstones with a mussel band.

Five-Quarter Seam. TheFive-Quarter has been minedboth asaseparate seam and togetherwith the overlying Metal Seam. Where worked opencast in part of the Acorn Bank site it was combinedwith both the Metaland High Main Seams. In thenorth of thearea in which it was minedas a single seam the Five-Quarter was commonly up to 1m thick with a dirt band of upto about8cm at, or just above, the centre of theseam. The minedthickness of the coal

78 \ Isopach of Five-QuarterSeam (cm) -40- (ornamented on low side of line) 0 1 2 3 km x Western limit of seamat outcrop or fault Scale

Approximate line of convergence of seams -(united on unornamentedside of line)

-I- Boreshaftor penetrating coal (outside worked area)

Style of working

Area of totalextraction (goaf)

Area of pillar andstall workings

of opencast workings

Figure 60 Five-Quarter (F2) andunited Metal and Five-Quarter seams (FZtfl), coal thickness and workings

79 0 1 2 3 km -40- Isopach of Five-Quarter to Metalinterval uuScale (thickness in metres)

Westernlimit of Five-QuarterSeam at outcrop or fault

.-! Approximateline of convergence of seams (unitedon unornamented side of line)

Sandstone in intervalover 10m thick

+ Bore or Shaftproving interval

Sectionfigured in thisreport

Figure 61 Five-Quarter Seam to Metal Seaminterval

80 Longhirst Colliery Ashingtan Cambois Badlington A No 1 Pit Bothal Pit No 1 Surface No 74 Engine Pit NZ28NW 23 NZ28NE 38 NZ28SE 27 NZ28SE 44 2383 8908 2756 ~a33 2968 a375 2737 0293 Metres METAL (Fl) [ALSO UNITED [ALSO WITH ...... / ..... HIGH MAIN (Fl+E)] \ ...... \ jm...... FIVE-QUARTER (F2) \lFlp...... r.1 \ ...... :I:$:::...... ::::::: ......

1For key see Figure 4

Figure 62 Five-Quarter Seam to MetalSeam

FIVE-QUARTERMETALTOaligned approximately NE-SW betweenEast Sleekburnand Cambois and is absentin TheFive-Quarter and Metal Seams are boreholes from Bates Pit (e.g. No. 3New unitednearlyor so, theextremein Shaft, 38 SW 24). north-eastand south of thedistrict, but divergeelsewhere such that the axis of Inworkings from Ashington,North Seaton maximuminterval thickness is aligned and Newbiggin Collieries the seam consisted approximately WSW-ESE between of two leaves separated by a dirt band of up Choppingtonand North Blyth (Figure 61). to 10 cm,thetotal thickness worked Over 28m of measuresseparate the increasing from less than m1 north of Five-Quarter Seam from the Metal where is Ashingtontoover 1.5 m at Newbiggin. is combinedwith the High Main Seam in South theriver Wansbeck thenumber theEngine Pit of Bedlington 'A' Colliery of andthickness of dirt bandsincreases and (28 SE 44) (Figure 62). A fine-to consequently also thetotal thickness of medium-grainedsandstone up to 17 m in workings. Up to m of coal and bands thickness makes up almost half the interval, 3.5 has been worked towards the southern limit accounting forpart of theincrease in of the Bedlington 'D' colliery 'take', but this intervalthicknessBedlington, the in thicknessmay include part, or all, of the Hepscott area. underlying Five-Quarter. Metal andcombined Metal/Five-Quarter The Metal and Five-Quarter areknown to and HighMain/Metal seams TheMetal havebeen worked together, commonly occurs as a distinctand separate coalover onlyarelatively limited area (Figure 63). underthe name of the 'Main' inextensive workings from NewbigginColliery, both Over much of the district it is separated by inland andoffshore, where the total less than a metre,commonly of seatearth thickness of coal andbands generally and mudstone,and underlyingfromthe exceeds 2 m andin placesreaches 2.7 m. Five-Quarteroverlyingor High Main The twoseams have also beenworked Seams. Theseam thins towards awashout

81 88

EA

82 H

)w and P~gs

?aton Sea Rocks

-40- Isopach of Metal Seam(cm) 0 1 2 3 km Western limit of united Metal and 2 High main seamsat outcrop or fault Scale Approximate line of seamconvergence (seams united on unornamented side of line)

+ Boreor shaft penetrating coal (outside worked area)

Style of working

Area of totalextraction (goaf)

Area of pillar andstall workings

Figure 63 Metal Seam (FI), coal thickness and workings

82 0 1 2 3 km -40- Isopach of Metal to HighMaininterval w m etres) Scale(thickness in metres)

Westernlimit of unitedMetal and High Main seams atoutcrop or in fault

Approximateline of seamconvergence 1 (seamsunited on unornamented side of line)

ElSandstone in interval 5 to 1 Om thick

.. Sandstonein interval 10 to15m thick

.*a*

*.. Sandstone in interval over 15m thick Fl....I... * *.* ;. **a .*.

+ BoreholeShaftor proving interval

0 Sectionfigured thisreport in

Figure 64 MetalSeam to High MainSeam interval

83 Camboia Churchlone Farm Churchlone Camboia Forster Pit surface N~ 69 North Seaton No 58 Bedlington N~ 1 NCW Delaval COlliCfy NZ28NE 28 NZ38NW 40 NZ28SE 91 NZ28SE 110 291 8 8500 3082 8677 2608 81 14 291 2 8023 Metres HIGH MAIN (E) -

...... 1-1 1-1 ...... (.:::.:.:.:I...... (:::::.:.:::.:I ......

METAL (Fl)

For key see Figure 4

Figure 65 Metal Seam to High Main Seam METAL AND HIGH MAIN COMBINED

togetherfrom New Delaval onthe southern Seamhas been workedfrom Ashington, edge of thedistrict (Land, 1974, p.85). Woodhorn andNewbiggin collieries. The thicknessof ’coal and bands’ extracted METALHIGHTOMAIN ranges from 0.8 to 1.2 m,coal thewith thicknessgenerally decreasing to the east Overmuch of the district the Metal and (Figure 66). HighMain seams are united or nearly so (see above).maximumThe recorded SouththeStakefordof Fault theon separation of over 40 moccurs in the very southernedge of thedistrict, where the south of thedistrict westof Newsham at HighMain Seam was worked beneath Forster Pit, New DelavalNewForsterCollieryPit, Bebside fromHorton Grange and Bebside (28 SE 1 10). Theseparation also exceeds collieries, it showed wide variation in nature 20 m in a zone from Cambois to Ashington andthickness. In boreholes at Acorn Bank andnorthwards (Figure 64). As is usual in Farm (28 SE 108 and 28 SE 112) thetotal thispart of theMiddle CoalMeasures thickness was over 2 m; the 85 cm top coal succession, the increase in interval thickness was the best quality with an ash content of corresponds to an increase in the amount of approximately 7.5%, buta sulphur content sandstonepresent. shaftairanIn at of over 3% andthe lower coals wereof RichardPit (28 SE 1 1 la) a 28 mthick ratherpoor quality. The seam wasworked sandstone unit which succeeds the combined outat the north-eastern limit ofworking Metal and Fivequarter Seammakes upover near Cowpen [292 8181. 85% of theinterval and is overlain bya locally thickseatearth of theHigh Main The Metal and High Main seamscome close Seam (Figure 65). Anthraconaia togethercf. overmuch of westernthe and pulchella and Naiadites cf. productus havecentral parts of thedistrict. North of the beenrecorded from the roof measuresofStakeford Fault they were worked together the Metalthe Seam within district.the depth at from Longhirst Colliery the in fault-bounded area between the Brocks and North of theStakeford Fault theHigh Main Potland Burn. Tothe south of this

84 -100- Isopach of HighMain Seam(cm) 0 1 2 3 km

Western limit of seam atoutcrop or fault Scale

Approximate line of seamconvergence - (seams unitedon unornamented side of line)

Boreor shaft penetrating coal (outside worked area)

Style of working

Area of totalextraction (goaf)

Area of pillar andstall .workings

.I...... ,...... Area of open castworkings

Figure 66 HighMain (E) and united Metal and HighMain (E+Fl) seams, coal thickness and workings 85 0 1 2 3 km -40- Isopach of HighMain Seam to 4 Scale High MainMarine Band interval (thickness in metres)

Westernlimit of HighMain Seam at outcrop or fault

Sandstone in interval IO to 15mthick ..

.* ., . . . Sandstone in interval 15 to 20 m thick ... *. .*.a*..... wla. e. * *.

+ Bore or Shaftproving interval

(I Sectionfigured in thisreport

Figure 67 High Main Seam to High Main Marine Band interval

86 North Scaton Carnbois Longhirst Colliery Farm Surface No 165 No 73 Bcbside North No 1 Pit NZ28NW 23 NZ28NE 49 NZ28SE 20 NZ28SE 86 2971 8675 23838908 2899 8404 2701 8141 Metres HIGH MAIN MARINE BAND os ...... High Main Marine ...... Band Coal -- ...... *..e.. ASHINGTON ...... -. -. -.-. -. -...... -...... -. -. -. -.-. -.--. -.

\ I”””’

For key see Figure 4 HIGH MAIN (E)

Figure 68 High Main Seam to High Main Marine Band

fault-troughthe seamshave been mined to seam is highlybanded; the ash content of cropin workings from Coney Garth and suchindividual coals canbe less than 6% Bothal Banks. Theywere also worked contrastingwith overall values greater than opencast thein Abyssiniasites. Coal 20% for the total thickness. thicknesses of between 1.2 mand 4.2 m, HIGHMA :N SEAM TOHIGH MAIN sometimes includingbands, are recorded on MARINE B 4ND mine plans. The zone of combinedworking extends less than 2 kmeastwards from the theInsouth of thedistrict between outcrop.The thicker High Main Seam has Hartford, Bebside and Newsham only a few beenworked separately in most of the metres of mudstoneandcoal-seatearth workings from AshingtonColliery with the separatesthe High Main Seam fromthe exception of an area bounding the Stakeford HighMain Marine Band (e.g., theborehole Fault. at Bebside NorthFarm, 28 SE 86). At Ashington, inthe Ashington Furnace Shaft South of theStakeford Fault the Metal and (28 NE 77), theseparation has increased to HighMain have generally been worked almost 40 m, although it is again reduced to togetherover areaan extending from less than 25 mbetween Ashington and Choppingtonto East Sleekburn and Horton Woodhorn (Figures 67 and 68). The Grange,although locally,where less than 1 interveningmeasures arepredominantly m of coal is recordedon plans, it is likely sandstonewhere the interval is thickest. thatonly one major leaf of coal was The base of theAshington Seamlies worked. between 5.5 and 21.2 mabove the High Main Seam. Thethickness, structure and quality of the individual coals whichmake up these TheAshington Seam hasbeen identified in compositeseams areextremely varied. boreholes over much of the district north of However,at leastone workable coal is linea from BedlingtonStation toNorth usuallypresent even when the composite Blyth (Figure 69). However-it was also

87 0 1 2 3 km Isopach of AshingtonSeam (cm) -50- Scale (ornamented on low side of line)

Western limit of seam at outcropor fault

+ Boreshaftor penetrating coal (outside worked area)

Style of working

Area of total extraction(goaf)

Area of pillar andstall workings

Figure 69 Ashington Seam (DEZ), coal thickness and workings

88 0 1 2 3 km

-40- Isopach of HighMain Marine Band to Scale MoorlandSeam (thickness in metres)

Western limit of HighMain Marine Band at outcrop or fault

Sandstonein interval 5 to 10m thick

.. Sandstone in interval 10 to 15m thick . :.

Sandstone in intervalover 15m thick , e.. a. . a. . *..:.. * 11a. e. *. .

+ Boreholeor Shaft proving interval

a Sectionfigured this in report

Figure 70 High MainMarine Band to MoorlandSeam interval

89 1

Green Lane Bore North ScatonBedlington F Pit Cambois Ashington No 11 Surface No 166 Bornarsund No 12 Surface No 70 NZ28NE 35 NZ28NE 46 NZ28SE 2 NZ28SE 14 2695 8703 2950 8580 2736 8491 2937 8439 Metres -0 MOORLAND (DEI)

- 10

...... - 20 ...... ,...... , . . . I ...... , . . . .

e...... - 30

For keysee Figure 4 HIGH MAIN MARINEBAND F‘igure 71 High Main MarineBand to Moorland Seam

present inthe Acorn BankOpencast Site coal,despite the fact that in placesthis is and is probablythe coalwhich was over 30 below.m It was firstnamed encounteredin borings at Blyth Harbour, (opxit.) the ’HighMain Lingula Band’. The whichsuggests thatthe Ashington Seam is marine band comprises about 0.6 m of black presentin the south of thedistrict. Known finely micaceousmudstone. Themarine variouslyas theTop High Main, Upper portion of the band occurs towards the base High Main and High Main (see Table 3), it of the cycle and may show interdigitation of has beenmined only in the north of the non-marinestrata, as, for example,in the district. At Longhirstcolliery the in North Seatonborehole (28 NE 49). north-west and Woodhorncolliery it was Normally only Lingula mytilloides is present worked as aseam up to 140 cmthick but in the marine band, but Myalinacompressa locally with a dirt band of over 20 cm. occursin association inNorth Seaton 166 borehole (28 NE 46). additionIn the HIGHMAINMARINE BAND TO ostracods, Geisinaarcuata or Holinellasp., MOORLAND SEAM maybe present together withexamples of Planolitesophthalmoides. However,the Where the High Main Marine Band has been marineportion has alwaysnot been formallyidentified the interval between it recognised. Inthe Ashington Green Lane and the Moorland Seam ranges between 26.4 borehole (28 NE 35) no marine fossilswere and 36.6 m(Figures 70 and 71). However, recovered, although the position of the band if boreholes inwhich the position of the is recognisable fromthe large and varied marineband is conjectural are included, a non-marinefauna in the upper part of the muchwider range is evident. Within the cycle. Thisprolific mussel band - theHigh intervaltwo impersistent coals are usually MainShell Bed - includesthe following present, although between North Seaton and fauna:- Anthraconaia cymbula,A.librata, Woodhorn three coals have been recorded. A. rubida A. cf. varians,Anthracosia acutella, A. aquilina Truemanand Weir non The High Main Marine Bandtook its name Sowerby, A. cf. aquilinoides, A. atra, (Anderson, 1958) from the subjacent named

90 A. concinna, A. fulva, A. lateralis, A. cf. [2662 80811 is a massive, yellowrock up to planitumida, A. C f. simulans, 5 mthick. Further exposures occur to the Anthracosphaerium cf. propinquum, south ofBedlington at [2658 81691 andat A. radiatum, A. cf. truemani, A. cf. Mount Pleasant Farm [2890 82471. turgidum,Naiadites alatus, N. cf. daviesi,

, N. obliquus, N. cf. productus. Moorland Seam. TheMoorland Seam is namedfrom Bedlington Moor Land, near Abovethe shell bed the sediment coarsens thepresent Bedlington Station, where the and locally passes upinto sandstone. The coal was mined at least as early as the 18th lower of thetwo thin coals maycommonly century.Another area of ancientworkings beabsent or represented by its seatearth. occursat Blackclose [277 8601, tothe south Thecycle above the lower coal commences of Ashington,from which comes an with a fossiliferous mudstone and concludes alternativename for the seam. One of the with siltstone, silty mudstone and sandstone. earliestrecords of local miningin England Themudstone contains followingthe is near Blyth, where, in 1236, the Moorland fauna:- Anthraconaia aff. lanceolata, Seam was worked along and near its outcrop Anthracosia cf. planitumida,Naiadites cf. westwards through Cowpen to Bebside. obliquus, N. cf. productus and Euestheria sp. Theupper thin coal seam is equally Whilst thefull recorded range of the impersistentand when the strata are not MoorlandSeam is 0.23 to 1.80 it is washed outby the overlying sandstone is generallybetween 0.75 and 1.25 mthick succeededmudstones bycontaining and is commonly split by dirt bands into at Anthraconaia sp., Anthracosia cf. carissima, least two seams. This splitting appears to be Anthracosphaerium sp.,Naiadites angustus, morepronounced in the north where three N. cf. obliquus and Euestheria sp. seams separatedby almost 3 mof strata havebeen encountered. Itsshallow depth In thesouthern part of thedistrict a made itan attractive proposition for early sandstone,up to approximately 20 mthick, miners and old workings have been noted at is commonlypresent in the uppermost part Blackclose, Bebside,Blyth and Bedlington. of theinterval and almost everywhere the Within thisdistrict however, only three MoorlandCoal is underlain bya substantial mine plans recordingprobable Moorland seatearth. workings (at Ashington, Bebside and Horton Grange, see Appendix)have been traced Rockswithin theinterval areexposed (Figure 72). Itsshallow depth and also the discontinuouslyin the incised valley of the needtostabilise the old workings, has RiverBlyth between Acorn Bank [266 8001 resultedin opencast workings at a number andMount Pleasant [291 8251. Although of locations. themarine band itself wasnot located during the field survey the High Main Shell MOORLAND TO RYHOPE LITTLE Bed was notedsouth of HumfordMill, at Borehole opencastand evidence site [2652 80071. indicatesthat strata between the Moorland Seam andthe Ryhope Little Seamshow Theupper thincoal and succeeding considerable local variation(Figures 73 and sandstonecrops out on the western side of 74). Because of this it is probable that some theBlyth Valley below Church Lane of thecorrelations and thin coal crop [2645 80721 wherethe following sequence positionsspeculatively defined during this was formerly exposed: re-survey may be incorrect. Massiveyellow sandstone 3.70+ Tothe east and south ofBedlington the Soft grey fireclaygrey Soft 0.15 interval between these seams varies between Grey shales with mussels 0.04 11.40 and 18.88 mand usually includes a Clayironstone band 0.05 thinintermediate coal (or itsseatearth) Grey shales 0.15 about 10 mabove the Moorland Seam. A Coal 0.15-0.20 secondthin coal may also be presentin Fireclay 0.3 1 places. Nearitscrop theMoorland is Sandy shales succeededby sandstone, but further east it Thethick sandstone which has been is overlainby argillaceous rocks. Inthis quarriedon both banks [2635 80951 and

91 0 1 2 3 km -75- IsopachofMoorland Seam (cm) Scale (ornamentedon low side of line)

Westernlimit of seam at outcrop or fault

-t. Boreorshaft penetrating coal (outsideworked area)

Style of working note A Areaof total extraction (goaf) There are opencast workings in theRyhope .' Littleand Ryhope Area of pillarand stall workings Five-Quarterseams at Hathery Lane,Bebside s...... s...... Area of opencast workings ...... a*...... e I...... a...... na...... ,......

Figure 72 Moorland Seam (DEI), coal thickness and workings

92 Ashington Farm North Seaton West Sleekburn Air Shaft Stockyard Bore Surface No 166 No 72 Near Richard pit NZ28NE 60 NZ28NE 46 NZ28SE 3 NZ28SE 111 o 2633 8679 2950 8580 2040 0497 291 S 8025 Metres RYHOPE LllTLE (D) -0 '-'mF-'m-...... 0 .....

I ...... I...... ,I - 10

MOORLAND (DEI)

- 20

- 30

For k-Jy see Figure 4

Figure 73 Moorland Seam to Ryhope Little Seam

district no fauna hasbeen recovered from the roof of the Moorland Coal. aIn RyhopeLittle Seam. TheRyhope Little roadsidecutting on Bebside Bank [277 8201 Seam is thc lowest of at least five thin coals two coals wereformerly visible, their whichoccur in close proximityin this part outcropsmarked by collapsed adits. The of thesequence. However, in many of the lowerseam, probablythe Moorland, was boreholes any of thesecoals may bepoorly notedto be about 0.6 mthick and was developed or absent,and between clusters separatedfrom the higher (probably the of boreholes therefore,the correlations are intermediateseam) byabout 3.7 m of conjectural.The Ryhope Little Seam is sandstone. rarelysplit by dirtand borehole data from the districtthe produces simple amean IIC Within the shallowsynclinebetween thickness of 0.36 m, although exceptionally, Bomarsund andNorth Seaton theinterval 1.29 m was recordedduring the sinking of betweentheMoorland and the Ryhope West SleekburnColliery Shaft (28 SE 11). Little ranges from 12.60 to 23.01 m, witha The seamconsistentlyis absent from persistentintermediate coalcommonly split boreholesto norththe andeast of into two thin leaves. In many places a thick Woodhorn. Small areas of the Ryhope Little sandstonesucceeds the Moorland but the were extracted during opencast operations at rocksabove theintermediate coal are Bebside inthe late 19603, but there is no finer-grained and variable in lithology. record of any mining of the seam.

Tothe north of theStakeford Fault the intervalmaintains variability its and whereas in the region of Third House Farm [280 8901 about 21 m of strataare present, west of Newbigginthicknesses of 11 m are moreusual, althoughthe intermediate coal is still commonly present.

93 0 1 2 3 km -40- Isopach of Moorlandto RyhopeLittle interval (thickness in metres) Scale

Westernlimit of MoorlandSeam at outcrop or in fault

Sandstonein interval over lorn thick ,*

a.

I- 6orehole or Shaft provinginterval

& Sectionfigured in this report

- Figure 74 Moorland Seam to Ryhope Little Seam interval 94 Woodhorn AshingtonFarm North Seaton AirShaft near Surface 25/75 Stackyard Bore Surface No 166 Richard pit NZ28NE 371 NZ28NE 60 NZ28NE 46 NZ28SE 11 1 o 2999 8725 2633 8679 2950 8580 291 8025 8 Metres TOP RYHOPE FIVE-QUARTER

BOTTOM RYHOPE FIVE-QUARTER

RYHOPE LllTLE

Fpr key sc Figure 4

Figure 75 Ryhope Little Seam to Top Ryhope Five-Quarter Seam

RY HOP E LITTLE TO RYHOPERYHOPELITTLE TO is between 1.9 and 7.4 m withthe Bottom FIVE-QUARTER RyhopeFive-Quarter andTop Ryhope Five-Quarter coalaveraging respectively, Immediatelyto the north of theStakeford 0.21 and 0.25 min thickness respectively. FaultRyhopethe Ryhope Little to AroundNorth Seaton theinterval is about Five-Quarterinterval is approximately 5 mand includes, at the base, a mudstone 5.5 mand is chieflymudstone. To the containing mussels. Where the coals are south of the Fault in the North Seaton area developed the bottom seam is between 8 and theinterval is morevariable ranging from 40 cm thicknessin and the top seam 2.21 to 8.76 m,and includes asandstone between 5 and 31 cm.From the limited whichreaches thickness5in m at evidenceavailable Cowpenthein - Blackclose. The Ryhope Little Marine Band Newsham areathe inter-seam interval is has beenrecognised onlyborehole in also about 5 andm is dominated by 38 NW 40 where Lingula Mytilloides was tone.sands The Bottom Ryhope recorded;theRyhope Little Seam was, Five-Quarter rangesbetween 33 and 68 cm however,absent. Although the marine band thickness inRyhopeTop the and was not encounteredelsewhere, inother Five-Quarter between 8 and 53 cm. boreholes,restricted a faunawhichin ostracodsare locally abundant has been noted in mudstones a metre or so above the coal. BetweenCowpen and Newshamthe interval ranges between 3.33 and 8.36 m and severalboreholes record anintermediate thin coal (Figure 75).

RyhopeFive-Quarter Seam. TheRyhope Five-Quarterappears to be splitinto two distinctseams throughout thisdistrict. North of theStakeford Fault the separation

95 North Seaton North Seaton WoodhornSummerhouseSeaton NorthLane Seaton North Surface No 166 No 58 Surface 25/27 Woodhorn No 4 NZ28NE 46 NZ38NW 40 NZ28NE 371 NZ28NE 36 2950 8580 3082 8677 2999 8725 2974 8767 Metres KIRKBY'S MARINE BAND F- mL-. -. -. r. -. -...... ---- ...... I...... I ...... /:.:.:.:.:.:.:I...... P ...... P y/i..;:.il I:::::::::::::/...... I.:::.:::::::I...... ROWLINGTON /

TOP RYHOPE FIVE-QUARTER

......

For key see Figure 4

Figure 76 Top Ryhope Five-Quarter to Kirkby's Marine Band

RY HO PE FIVE-QUARTERRYHOPETO Isabella Pit [2996 80691 notes 2.49 m of ROWLINGTON 'blue metal' (mudstone)above theTop Ryhope Five-Quarter. The Rowlington Seam was namedby Land (1974) from its outcrop in Rowlington Dean Rowlington Seam. North of theStakeford south of Ashington [28 18 85931. There,a Faultthe coal is generallybetween 33 and 15 cm thick coal was seen to be overlain by 76 cm thick but an old (1868) borehole west shalewith ironstone nodules and underlain of Woodhorn (28 NE 5) encountereda coal by seatearthby andsandstone with shale 0.91 mthick which hasbeen tentatively partings.In this part of thedistrict the correlatedwith the Rowlington Seam. In intervalRyhopebetweenTop the theNorth Seaton areathicknesses average Five-Quarter and the Rowlington is between about 0.2 m. 3.5 and 6.1 mand comprises fossiliferous mudstonesoverlain by sandstones (Figure 76). The mudstonescontain Anthraconaia cf. cymbula, Anthracosia cf. acutella, A. cf. aquilina Trueman and Weir non Sowerby, A. cf. aquilinoides, A. atra, A. cf. concinna, A. cf. elliptica, A. fulva, A. cf. planitumida,A. cf. simulans,Naiadites cf. alatus, N. angustus, N. cf. daviesi and N cf. obliquus; additionallyfish remains were obtainedfrom borehole 28 NE 46. The Rowlington Seam is absent from boreholes inthe Ashington Farm area [260 8701 but has beenproved further eastwhere the intervalbetween itand the Top Ryhope Five-Quarter ranges from 3.3 to 7.8 m. In the south of the district the shaft record for

96 ROWLINGTON TO KIRKBY’S MARINE illustratedthis alternation, elsewhere only BAND one or no marine phase was recovered. The marinefaunaconsits of Planolites In thearea to the north of theStakeford ophthalmoides and Lingulamytilloides and Faultthe Kirby’s Marine Band hasbeen the combinedthe non-marine fauna of- identifiedwith certainty onlyin one Anthraconaia sp. (cf. cymbula?), borehole(28 NE 36). Throughoutthe rest Anthracosia acutella, A. cf. aquilina of this areathe marine band’s position is Truemanand Weir non Sowerby, A. cf. conjecturaland based onthe presence of a aquilinoides, atra,A. A. cf. concinna, thin coal which usuallyunderlies it. The A. fulva, Curvirimula sp., Naiadites cf. intervalbetween the Rowlington Seam and alatus. The presence of Curvirimula sp. is the Marine Band is about 17 m and includes of interest as this genus, in the Middle Coal anintermediate, thin and impersistent coal Measures,seems to be associated withthe some 10 mabove the Rowlington. Below presence of marine conditions. the intermediate seam sandstone is dominant andabove the seam the lithologies are The only exposure of Kirkby’s Marine Band variable (Figure 76). is the coastalsection Hawksat Cliff, South of theStakeford Fault the highest however,thefauna recovered was not stratain the interval are exposedon the prolific.Land (1974) detailed the fossils coast at Hawks Cliff, [307 8631 to [305 8581. collected anddescribed the full section, Thefull interval was intersected by four namely: boreholes in the North Seaton area (although m inonly two was theKirkby’s Marine Band formallyidentified). The intermediate coal North Seaton Sandstone; sandstone, 7.62 is recorded in only one of the boreholes, but sparinglymedium-grained its seatearth is present4 to 8 mabove the micaceous, grittypebblyand RowlingtonSeam inthe others. Variable towards base; plantfragments at strata below the coal contrast with 5 to 8 m least of sandstone above. Shale, black, cannelly towards base 0.46 A t HawksAt sequence, Cliff a dipping 0.76 north-westwardsat c.lOo, was recordedby Coal; shaly at top; partingnear 0.38 Land (1974). Thissection is now covered base by stormbeach deposits and slumping of Seatearth, sandy, except at top 0.3 1 the overlyingthe boulder clay. Thefull 1.22 sequence is Sandstone,cross-bedded, fine 6.1 m grained, micaceous about Kirkby’s Marine Band - Silty shale and shaly sandstone 1.83 Coal,very shaly attop and bottom 0.46 Shale, dark grey;a fewironstone 1.07 Seatearth-mudstone,pale grey; 0.61 bands;represents upper leaf of ganister partings Kirkby’s Marine Band but no Sandstone,fairly massive fine- 1.83 fossils found grained,somewhat ferruginous; roots atthe top;plant impressions Shale,grey, micaceous; mussels 0.9 1 abundantat one or twohorizons; including Anthracosia atra, A. cf. smallscale cross bedding directed acutella and A.sp. intermediate south-south-west seen to between atra and lateralis Kirkby’s Marine Band, lower leaf; 0.08 KIRKBY’S MARINEBAND TO RYHOPE mudstone,mudstone; darkgrey, MARINE BAND micaceous; Lingula cf. elongata Kirkby’s Marine Band was namedby Coal, shaly at top and bottom 0.46 Armstrongand Price (1954, p.978) fromits discoveryby Kirkby (1860, p.412) who [Thissection is thesame as that described recognized thealternation of marineand by Fowler(1936, p.78) inwhich his“Blue non-marine phasescharacteristic of the shale withCarbonicola shells” represents bandin this coalfield. However, only one Kirkby’s Marine Band and its included boreholein districtthe (38NW 40) mussel band.]

97 Thefull sequence between the Kirkby’s and on both banks of theRiver Wansbeck, MarineBand and the Ryhope Marine Band north of Stakefordat [2640 86351 and is foundonly tothe north of theStakeford [2605 86301. At Newbigginand on the Fault.Four boreholes have shown thenorth bank of the Wansbeck coarse-grained, intervalto range between 58.9 and 68.7 mpebbly lenses andbeds are common within in thickness,lithologically inbe to but sandstone. the consistent,predominantly comprising sandstonemedian mudstoneawith (probably the Hylton Marine Band position) and’ an overlying coal - the Burradon Seam (Figure 77). Inthe Hawks Cliff section south of thefault 38 cmshaley coal and associatedseatearth andmudstone are recorded8m above the Kirkby’s Marine Band (see sectionabove and also cover photograph).Thiscoal is possibly a correlative of thethin seam recorded in borehole 28 NE 60 and exposed in Wellhead Dean [2600 86441.

Thesandstone between this coal and the HyltonMarine Band, forming the upper part of Hawks Cliff, (see section above), has been named the North Seaton Sandstone by Fowler (1936). It has beenquarried at NorthSeaton Colliery [294 8561 andnear thecoast [308 8671. It is probablythe equivalent of the WoodhornSandstone which is exposedonthe coast around Beacon Point [317 8941 and has been quarried at Woodhorn Village [299 8901 and also south of AshingtonFarm [262 8651. In thequarry at Woodhorn over 21 mof brown,fine-grained, sparingly micaceous sandstonewas formerly worked for facing and grindstones (Fowler, 1936). Themudstone which lies midwayin the intervaland which is underlainby a thin coal inonly one borehole (28 NE 36), has producednofauna within this district. Hence,the position of the Hylton Marine Band withinthis mudstone is speculatively assigned.Approximately 4 m ofmudstones andsandstones separate the marine band horizon from the Burradon Seam which was encounteredrecentsite duringa investigation for newhospital a near Ashington [291 8801 and proved to be about 45 cmthick. The Burradon Seam has also beenequated with shaley coal exposed in the base of thesmall quarry north of Stakeford [2602 86301.

Thesandstone between the Burradon coal andtheRyhope Marine Bandranges between 25.5 and 28.2 m in thickness and is exposed on the coast at Newbiggin [317 8791

98 Summerhouse Lane Woodhorn Woodhorn Underground Woodhorn No 4 Surface 25/27 DewateringNo 25/24 NZ28NE 36 NZ28NE371 NZ28NE 375 2974 0767 2999 8725 2994 8722 RYHOPE MARINEBAND

M etrcs -0

- 10

...... ,,.. ..,..*...... , , , , , . BURRADON ...... - 20 ...... ,.,.. . ,' ...... I. I *' . ', , ...... , , , , , ...... HYLTON MARINEBAND ...... - 30 ...... , , , , ...... ,.,...... ,...... , , . , . , ...... For key see . . , , . , , ...... Figure 4 ...... , . , ...... , . , . , ...... , . . , , , ...... A,A,A,A,h ...... KIRKBY'S MARINE BAND =I ...... e...... I ...... e..,, ...... I ...... ,......

Figure 77 Kirkby's MarineBand to Ryhope Marine Band STRATA ABOVE THE RYHOPE MARINE seamoccurs 8 m above the TopHebburn BAND Fell Coal within or at the top of a mudstone sequencewhich turnin overlain is by The Ryhope Marine Band was namedby sandstone.Temporary trench sections down ArmstrongandPrice (1954) from its dip (i.e. south) of theseboreholes at discovery in specimensfrom Ryhope by [2964 87001 and [3016 87171 notedduring Tonks (1939). hadbeenIt informally the 1929 50 survey,record a highercoal namedby Burnett (1947) the'Ashington - as (or coals?) 46 to 61 cm thick which may be Marine Bed' from itspresence in borehole / the Killingworth Seam. 28 NE 36, the "Summerhouse Lane borehole". The extensivecollection made Seam contours frommine plans of deeper fromthis borehole hasbeen reviewed and coals workedimmediately north of the the revised fauna is follows:- Serpuloides as StakefordFault show aprogressive increase sp., Cancrinella cf. craigmarkensis,Lingula indip thefault is approachedand the mytilloides, Productus?, Strobeus sp., as depiction of the highest measures at surface Edmondia sp. (aff. punctatella?), in thisin area is a projection basedon Pernopecten carboniferus, Posidonia sulcata, cumulative interval thicknesses. orthocone, Metacoceras?,Donetzoceras?, goniatite Gen and sp. nov. (Duncan in Currie et al., 1937), Euestheria sp. Avaried assemblage of conodonts is also present including at least one association of elements. The biostratigraphicdetail is discussed by Land (1974).

Inthis districtapproximately 160 m of strata may occurabove the Ryhope Marine Band but there is no direct evidence for the uppermost80m, and their presence is inferredon structural grounds. Above the MarineBand information is available from only four boreholes and limited exposure of higherbeds Spitalat Carrs [312 8721 adjacent to the Stakeford Fault.

The boreholes are close togetherand record verysimilar sequences, with up to 7 coals (see Figure 78); four of thesehave been tentativelycorrelated with seams named in the south of the coalfield. The lowest seam, theUsworth, is upto 76 cmthick and lies 25 mabove the Ryhope Marine Band. The interveningrocks are mudstones.Above the Usworth12 m of mudstone, with a pair of impersistent thin coals, is capped by 6 m of sandstoneunderlying theHebburn Fell Seam. This coal is intwo leaves up to 1.37 and 2.06 m thickand separated by 5 m of mudstone.

The highestcoalproved boreholesin 28 NE 106, 371 and 375, is equatedwith the West Moor Seam a coal described from a boreholeeponymous the at locality (27 SE 62)more than 15 kmto the south. The West MoorCoal has amean thickness of 40 cm and lies about 28 m above the Top HebburnFell Seam. A thinintermediate

100 Metres

...... I.:::;:.;::;::\...... ,..a...... * \':;:;:.:.:..:;I.....

TOP HEBBURN FELL For key see Figure 4 TI-OM HEBBURN FELL

Summerhouse Lonle Woodhorn NO 4 NZ28NE 36

P

L RYHOPE

Figure 78 Strata above the Ryhope Marine Band

101 6 IGNEOUS ROCKS 3m thick, but can be identifiedon mine plans from the coastwest to Hepscott, as a Four WNW-trending tholeiitic dolerite dykes series of discontinuouslines displaced by cross the district (Figure 79). They are part faults. West of Choppington it is present as of thedyke-swarm from the Tertiary two parallel intrusions, some 20 m apart. volcano of Mullin western Scotland,some 200 milesaway.Petrographically the Netherton-SouthThe BlythDyke is tholeiiticdolerites olivine-freeare or generally narrow, but attains a width of 9 m olivine-poorplagioclase-augite rocks, with in places and may have been quarried south thefeldspar and pyroxene generally in of Bedlington at 12644 8 1471. It is recorded ophitic relationship and having an intersertal on mine plans as far west as Nedderton and texturewith a glassy mesostasis, which is was proved inthe Howard House opencast usually devitrified micro-crystalline.of site. Land (1974)Landdiscusses detailedthe petrography of thedykes, the easternmost expressions of whichare seen on geological Sheet 15, and lists theliterature pertaining to them.

Thedykes in the district are the North Seaton, the West Sleekburn,the Barrington-North Blyth the and Netherton-south Blyth. With theexception of the West SleekburnDyke, which is 6to 21 mwide, continuous and nearly vertical, thedykes are generally less than5 m wide, arelaterally discontinuous anyat given stratigraphical level, andarevertically discontinuous at any given point along their length.They thus appear asseriesa of sectionsinechelon, corrected by narrow cross feeders(Land, 1974, figure 80). Records of thedykes are usually confined to mineworkings with a limited number of formerexposures onthe coast, inor quarries inland.

The North SeatonDyke, is knownonly fromcolliery workings. It was first described by Land (1974).

The West SleekburnDyke is muchthe thickestand most continuous dyke in the district,but is nowhereexposed. It is proved in mine-workingsin the Yard and Plessey seamsonly as far west as Guide Post. Thedykes formerly seen at Bothal Mill [2653861 31 andsaid to have been quarried west of Climbing Tree 12614 8 1271, thelatter with widtha of overm,4 probablyrepresent continuationa of the West Sleekburn dyke.

The Barrington-NorthBlyth Dyke was formerlyexposed on the coast at Blyth North Beach [3185 82211 where it was 1.2 m wide (Land, 1974, p. 119), but is now coveredby shingle. It is usually less than

102 Tholeiite dyke, 0 1 2 3 km proved at outcrop or underground Scale

Figure 79 Tholeiitedykes

103 than 3 m(10 feeton oldplans) arenot 7 STRUCTURE shown in Figure 79 or on the 1: 10 000 scale Duringmuch of Westphaliantimes geological maps, but are plentiful. compaction - inducedsubsidence was the majorcontrol onthe pattern of facies distribution.Itisprobable that this was accompanied periodically by periodically accompanied syn-depositionalfaultextensional movements(Fielding, 1986; Collier, 1989). Thestrata were subsequently faulted and gentlyfoldedduring Hercynianthe movements and tiltedgently eastwards with further faulting in Tertiary times.

Themajor fault within the district is the ENE-trending Stakeford Fault, which shows amaximum northerly downthrow of some 200 m in the Yard Seam (Figure 80).

Thefaults in the north-west part of the districtshowsimilarlargevertical displacements.These intrabasinal faults form part of a suite of major normal faults whichlie within the Northumberland Basin andexhibit net extensional displacements. Thefaults have the same ENE-WSW trend as the Stublick and Ninety-Fathom faults at the southern margin of the basin (Frost and Holliday, 1980; Collier, 1989). Information available from mineplans shows the StakefordFault to hade at approximately 45'. As thefault is approachedon its downthrow or north side the dip of bedding increases to 45' so thatthe strata meet the fault plane atright angles. Onthe upthrow sidethe strata are little disturbed (Figure 79). Collier (1989) discussesthis phenomenon of hanging wall rollover, identifiedoldNorthumberlandtheby minerson plans as "beds dip toa riser", in association withthe Ninety Fathom Fault (see Land 1974, p.126) and develops from it a modela inwhich fault displacement is terminatedat a decollement surface within the Carboniferous basin fill.

A secondsuite of NNW-trendingnormal faultsgenerally have smaller displacements (<30 m)and steeper dips (averaging 70'; calculated from mine plans).

The larger displacement of up to 70 m along theCrimea Fault (Jackson, Lawrence and Frost,1985) is explainedtermsin of differentialfolding either side of thefault (Land, 1974, p. 125). Many of these faults dieout by splitting into several fractures withthrows of a few metres. Faults of less

104 Crop of Plessey Seam Scale ...... - ...... 0 1 2 3 ...... Coal Measure strata below Plessey Seam ...... - kilometres ______Approximate position of base of Coat Measures

---- ~ ____ Contours on base of Coal Measures Contour relative to Ordnance.Datum, intervalat 20m - Contours on Plessey Seam

L- _. - Fault, crossmark on downthrow side; major faults are named

Figure 80. Structure Contours

105 greatestthickness. Thereare many small 8 QUATERNARY sections in the deposit but few of any great Almost all of the district is covered by drift thicknesslateralcontinuity or and deposits, solid rocks are exposed only within consequently much of the information about incised river valleys, onthe coast and as tilland its relationship with other glacial isolatedlow sandstone hills (Figure 8 1). sedimentsand rockhead, is obtained from Thedrift depositsare chiefly of glacial boreholedata. However, onlyinrecent originanddate from the last,late years (withthe advent of standardsite Devensian,glaciation approximately 12 000 investigationtechniques) has the logging of - 18 000 years ago. Till(boulder clay) superficialdeposits in boreholes provided predominatesbutwater-deposited sands, sufficient detail to significantly enhance the gravels,silt and clays arecommon within analysis of the drift sequence. buried valleys wheresediment relationships may be complex and thicknesses may exceed The thickestsequencestill thoseare 60 m. Post-glacial and recent river terraces, encounteredwithin buried valleys; up to andalluvium flank the river and streams 60 m has been proved and it is thought that while sanddunes and beach deposits fringe thicknesses in excess of this may be present the coast. theStobhillin andStannington areas. Where it is unweathered,till comprises a ROCKHEAD stiff,grey to grey-brown, silty, sand stony clay; near surface, however, a distinct upper The RockheadThe surface illustrated in layer,mottled orange-brown and grey and Figure82 hasbeen constructed using data only sporadically stony, is generally present. fromover 1 500 boreholescoupled with Thinsand lenses andpartings of sand, limitedexposure evidence. The information gravel, silt and clay are common throughout. reveals anerosional surface which hasa Erraticsare mostly of local Carboniferous morepronounced topography thanthe origin,chiefly subrounded sandstones with incisedplainwhichtill forms the subordinate,siltstone, mudstone, ironstone, present-daylandsurface, with valleys limestoneand coal. A fewfar-travelled decliningto depths more than 20 mbelow igneous andmetamorphic rocks from current sea level. The dominant feature is a southern Scotland and the Lake District also valley system which enters the district from occur.Erratics vary in size from a few the west and south-west, unites at Hepscott millimetresto large boulders and some may [225 8421 and reaches the present coast near beexceptionally large. A probable 'raft' of Cambois [304 8511. Boreholeevidence solidsandstone within a thick till sequence indicatesthat there is anotherchannel occursnorth of Stannington[212 8021. trending N-S beneathNewbiggin and also Boreholes andtemporary exposures record shows thatthe south-eastern part of the up to 6 m of flaggy sandstone with variable district lies onthe northern flank of a dip,near the top of a drift sequence m ajor drift-filledmajor valley running believed to be over 30 m thick. north-eastwards from Cramlington. Thegrey and grey-brown till is largely an Althougha continuously graded profile has overconsolidatedlodgement till, thought to beenassumed in the construction of the be deposited by a single phase of glaciation rockhead contours, it is possible that each of duringthelate-Devensian. Theupper, the valleysmay have been overdeepened by mottled layer has been variously interpreted theaction of theice or sub-glacial as upperlodgement, ablation or flow till, a meltwater. product of gelifluctionormore recently (Eyles and Sladen, 1981) as apost-glacial The mostrecent modifications theto weatheringprofile. It is likelythat more rockhead surface are the gorges which result than one process was involved. fromincision bythe rivers Blyth and Wansbeck andtheir tributaries thein post-glacial period.post-glacial CLAY ANDLAMINATED- SILT Thesedeposits have not been differentiated TILL at surface,at but boreholes and clay pit Till(boulder clay) is the mostwidespread workings indicate extensive deposits inthe glacial deposit and the one which attains the

106

Choppingtonand Cambois areas and to the occurson the south bank of theBlyth north-eastof Morpeth; all associated with estuary [290 8231. At thislocality the areas of thicker drift within buried valleys. deposit comprises 0.6 m of sand pebbly soil There are other, less extensivedeposits, but on 0.4 m of sub-angularto sub-rounded lack of detailin borehole logs precludesa sandstonegravel. Alluvial sediments also more accurate assessment. occur beneath thin (0.5 m) tidal flat deposits inthe Wansbeck estuary.Site investigation Up to 18 m oflaminated clay and silt has boreholes drilled prior to the construction of been encounteredin the Choppington area theNorth Seatonroad bridgeprove a butthicknesses of less thantwo metres are consistent sequence of sand and gravel lying moreusual.Borehole logs generally oll sand which in turn rests on organicsilt; describelaminated,a virtually stone-free theaverage cumulative thickness being siltyclaywith intercalated finesand about 13 m. partings;sections workingin brick pits recordedby previous surveys give a fuller MARINEBEACH AND TIDAL FLAT account: - DEPOSITS Foggos Brickworks,Choppington [248 8361, Within the bays,beach deposits generally 1929: "...... fully 15 feet of finely comprisesand but around the headlands laminatedblue-grey (weatheringclay shingle is morecommon. Asmall storm throughdark to light brown) is exposed. beach of cobblesand boulders was noted Thereare laminae of sandand the clay north of themouth of theRiver Wansbeck itself is, to a varying degree, sandy, though [305 8571. The tidalflats inboth estuaries wherepurest very fine-grained and plastic. are generally covered with a veneer of mud. Interbandingwith sand is irregular.There are saidto be 40 feet of thisclay, but the BLOWN SAND base is not exposed.Occassionally it is Dunesfringe the bays althoughinthe gravelly, and somelarge boulders occur 11 Camboisarea they are less prominentthan ...... formerly becausedevelopmentof and subsequentlandscaping. To the south, at Inseveral sections a "little reddish (upper) North Blyth, up to 7.16 m of sand has been boulderclay on top of the brick clays" was proved siteinvestigationin boreholes. also noted.It is probablethat much of the However,all the dune deposits thin rapidly laminatedsilt and clay was depositedin a inland to no more than an indistinct veneer. lacustrineenvironments (both subaerial and subglacial) in glacial and late-glacial times. PEAT ALLUVIUM Beneath the coastal dunesthereare generallya few centimetres of peatwhich Alluviumoccurs as narrow, discontinuous has beendated as Atlantic (pollenzone tractsflanking rivers and streams and also VIIA)by Raistrick and Blackburn (1932). fillingsmall flats and hollows. It varies Up to 5 cm of peatare visible beneath considerably in thicknessand composition. blownsand on North Seaton Links,near Inthe Wansbeck Valleybetween Bothal [3045 85251, and up to 0.3 m of sandy peat [240 8651 and Sheepwash [256 8571 it occursin asimilar setting below the dunes appearstoconsist of sand ,and gravel, at North Blyth [3 13 8281 to [318 8201. elsewherecomposite and laterally variable deposits of sand,silt, clay and gravel are MADE GROUND recorded. Thin lenses of andpeat organic-richsediments commonly are Previoussurveys did notmap made ground associated with alluvial deposits. although it was describedbriefly inthe TynemouthMemoir (Land, 1974). The MARINE AND ESTUARINE ALLUVIUM current Survey has attempted to delineate all areas of made ground except the ubiquitous These deposits have been mapped below the thinspread within urban areas and the NormalTidal Limit in the Blyth, Wansbeck readilyapparent fill of roadandrail andSleekburn Valleys. Likealluvium the embankments.In this district made ground sedimentsusually form discontinuous may be broadly sub-divided --into backfilled narrowspreads but amore extensive tract opencast coal-seam areas, colliery spoil and

108 miscellaneouswastes (including domestic, effects of renewedextension upon an industrial,agricultural, quarry and building invertedextensional basin. Journal of the waste). Becauseof thedifficult foundation Geological Society, London, Vol. 146, conditionsitcan pose andthe potential 981 -989. problems of methane-generationand CURRIE, E.D., DUNCAN, C. and leachatemigration, thedistribution and MUIR-WOOD,H.M. 1937. Thefauna of composition of MadeGround a is Skipsey’s MarineBand, Transactions the significantfactor in development decisions of Geological Society of Glasgow, Vol. 19, andit is thereforeconsidered in detailin 4 13-452 Part I - the Land-use Planning Report. EYLES, N. andSLADEN, J.A. 1981. 9 REFERENCES Stratigraphyand geotechnical properties of weathered lodgementweathered till in All referencesquoted in the text are listed. Northumberland,England. Quarterly A moreA comprehensive bibliography of Journal of Engineering Geology, Vol. 14, publicationsprior to 1974 is includedin 129-141 Land (1974). FIELDING, C. R. 1982. Sedimentologyand ANDERSON, W. 1958. SummaryIn of stratigraphy of theDurham Coal Measures, progressof the Geological Survey of Great andcomparisons withother coalfields. Britain for 1957, 37. UnpublishedPhD thesis, University of ARMSTRONG,andPRICE,G. R.H. Durham. 1954. TheCoal Measures of north-east FIELDING,C.R. 1984a.coal A Durham. Transactions the Insititution of of depositionalmodel forthe Durham Coal mining engineers, Vol. 113, 973-97. Measuresof NE England. Journal of the ATTHEY, T. 1870. Onthe occurrence of Geological Society,London, Vol. 141, thepalatal teeth ofa fishbelonging to the 919-931. genus Climaxodus McCoy in the Low Main FIELDING, C.R. 1984b. ‘S’ or ‘Z’ shaped Shale ofNewsham. Transactions of the coalseam splits in the Coal Measures of Natural HistorySociety Northumberland, of CountyDurham. Proceedings the Vol. 3, 306-309. of YorkshireGeological Society, Vol. 45, parts BORINGSAND SINKINGS, 1878-1910. 1 & 2, 85-89. Council of the North of England Institute of FIELDING, C.R. 1986. Theanatomy ofa MiningandMechanical Engineers. An coal seamsplit,Durhamcoal Coalfield, account the strata Northumberland and of of NortheastEngland. GeologicalJournal, Ruah as proved by borings and sinkings, 7 VOl. 21, 45-57. volumes 4in books. (Newcastleupon Tyne). FOWLER,A. 1936. The geology of the countryaround Rothbury, Amble and BUDDLE, J. 1831a. Synopsisof the Ashington. Memoir of the Geological severalseams ofcoal inthe Newcastle Survey of Great Britain, Sheets9and 10 district. Transactions the Natural History of (England and Wales). Society of Northumberland, Vol. 1, 21 5-224. FROST, D. V. & HOLLIDAY, P. W. 1980. BUDDLE, J. 1831b. Referencetothe Geology of the country around Bellingham. sectionsofthe strata of the Newcastle Memoirof the Geological Survey, Sheet 13 coalfield. Transactions the Natural of (England and Wales). HistorySociety of Northumberland, vol. 1, 225-240. HASZELDINE,R. S. 198 1. WestphalianB Coalfieldsedimentology Northeast in BURNETT,G. A. 1947. Amarine bed in England and its regionalsetting. itsEngland and theCoal Measure of Northumberland. UnpublishedPhD thesis, University of Nature, London, Vol. 159, 69. Strathclyde. CALVER, M. 1969. Westphalian of HICKLING, H.G.A. 1950. Prospectsof Britain. C.r.6eCongr. int.stratigr. Geol. underseacoalfield extension the in carbonif., Vol. 1, 233-254. North-East. Transactions of the Institution COLLIER,LL.E. R. 1989. Tectonic of Mining Engineers, Vol. 109, 659-671. evolutionof the Northumberland Basin; the

110 HOPKINS, W. 1934. Lingula horizonsin LEEDER, M. R., FAIRHEAD, D., the CoalMeasures of Northumberland and LEE, A., STUART, G., CLEMNEY, H., Durham, GeologicalMagazine, Vol. 71, EL-HADDAHEH, B. andGREEN, C. 183- 189. 1989. Sedimentary and tectonic evolution of theNorthumberland Basin. In Therole of JACKSON, I., LAWRENCE, D.J.D. and tectonicsinDevonian and Carboniferous FROST,D.V. 1985. Geologicalnotes and sedimentationBritishthe in Isles, local detailsfor Sheet NZ27. Cramlington, ARTHURTON, R.S., GUTTERIDGE, P. Killingworthand Wide Open (SE and NOLAN, S.C., (editors.). Northumberland). OpenFile Report, British Geological Survey. POTTER, P. E. 1962. Regional JOHNSON,G.A.L.Subsidence and distributionpatterns Pennsylvanian of sedimentationNorthumberlandthe in sandstonesin Illinois Basin. Bulletin of the Trough. Proceedings of Yorkshirethe AmericanAssociation of petroleum GeologicalSociety, Vol. 45, parts 1 & 2, Geologists, Vol. 46, 1890- 191 1. 7 1-83. RAISTRICK, A. andBLACKBURN, K.B. JONES, J.H. 1945. TheNorthumberland 1932. Thelate-glacial andpost-glacial andDurham coal seams. TheInstitute of periodsin the nroth Pennines. Part 111, The fuel War TimeBulletin. Feb. 1945, 89-102. post-glacial peats. Transactions of JONES, J. M. andCOOPER, B. S. 1970. STUBBLEFIELD, C.J. 1957. Divisionsof Coal (in GeologyDurhamof County). the CoalMeasures on Geological Survey Transactions of theNorthumberland Natural mapsof England and Wales. Bulletin of the History Society, Vol. 41, 43-65. GeologicalSurvey of Great Britain, No.13, pages1 & 5. KIMBELL, G.S., CHADWICK,R.A., HOLLIDAY, D.W. andWERNGREN, O.C. TONKS,L.G. 1939. Marineand 1989. Thestructure and evolution of the freshwater fossils fromthe Middle Coal NorthumberlandTrough from new seismic MeasuresRyhope,of Co. Durhanm. reflectiondata and its bearing on modesof Bulletin of theGeological Survey of Great continentalextension. Journal of the Britain, No. 1, 1-7. GeologicalSociety, London, Vol. 146, TRUEMAN, A. and WEIR, J. 1946-68.A 775-787. monograph of BritishCarboniferous KIRKBY, J. W. 1860. Onthe occurrence non-marinelamellibranchiata. Monograph of Lingulacredneri Geinitzinthe Coal of the Palaeontotographical Society. Measuresof Durham, and on the claim of thePermian rocks to beentitled a system. Quarterly Journal of theGeological Society of London, Vol. 16, 412-21. LAND, D.H. 1974. Geology of the TynemouthDistrict. Memoirs of the Geological Survey of Great Britain, Sheet 15 (England and Wales). LAWRENCE, D.J.D. andJACKSON, I. 1986. Geologyofthe Ponteland-Morpeth district. ResearchReport of theBritish Geological Survey. LEBOUR,G.A. and SMYTHE, J. 1906. On a case of unconformity and thrust in the Coal Measures of Northumberland.MeasuresCoal of Quarterly Journal of theGeological Society of London, Vol. 62, 530-550. LEEDER, M. R. 1974. Theorigin of the Northumberland Basin. ScottishJournal of Geology, Vol. 10, 283-296.

111 APPEND1X:LIST OF BRITISHCOAL MINEABANDONMENT PLANS IN SURVEY AREA (BY COLLIERY)

COLL IERY SEAM NAME SEAMCOLLIERY ON DATE OF BRITISH COAL ON PLAN ABANDONMENT CATALOGUE NUMBER ASHINGTON Plessey 1937 12107 Plessey 1969 NC611 Plessey 1969 NC626 Yard 1946 14133 Bensham 1965 NC538 Bot tom Main 1966 NC556 Five Quarter 1966 NC567 Low Main 1966 NC568 High Main 1968 NC595 High Main 1969 NC6 12 Top Yard 1969 NC625 Tilley 1971 NC647 Bottom Busty 1974 NC673 Bottom Busty 1979 NC673 Victoria 1981 NC725 Three Quarter 1988 NC747 Blackclose 1968 NC594 Middle Main 1969 NC624

BARMOOR Barmoor 1911 5741 Barmoor (or Low Main) 1939 NC716 Splint 191 1 5741 Splint (or Plessey) NC7 16 Bottom 191 1 5741 Brockwell 1963 NC490 Little (or Three Quarter) 1930 NC716 Bandy 1939 NC716 Brockwell (or Victoria) 1930 NC7 16

BARRINGTON Harvey 1938 12398 High Main NC133

BATES Main 1984 NC735 Bottom Plessey 1983 NC736 Harvey 1982 NC737 Plessey 1985 NC740 Three Quarter 1986 NC74 1

BEDLINGTON A Yard 1953 NC158 Yard 1966 NC565 Bensham 1954 NC175 Low Main 1954 NC184 Lower Main (or Main) 1957 NC275 Top Busty (or Denton Low Main) 1958 NC300 Beaumont 1968 NC606 Top Main 1971 NC644

112 Denton Low Main 1971 NC650 Plessey 1961 NC476 Five Quarter 1964 NC524 Bensham 1963 NC492 Plessey 1965 NC529

BEDLINGTON D Five Quarter 1953 NC90 (OR DOCTOR) Yard 1953 NC 146 Low Main 1954 NC181 Top Main (High Main) 1960 NC386 Lower Main 1960 NC387 Plessey 1961 NC476 Plessey 1965 NC529 Upper Bensham 1963 NC49 1 Bensham 1963 NC492 Beaumont 1968 NC607

BEDLINGTON E Five Quarter 1952 NC42 (OR WEST SLEEKBURN Yard 1959 NC335 OR THE WINNING) Yard 1962 NC335 Plessey 1960 NC388 Bensham 1962 NC457 Low Main 1962 NC458 Upper Bensham 1943 13647 Main 1952 NC43 Top Main 1955 NC238 Top Main 1962 NC456 Bottom Plessey 1962 NC459 Harvey (or Low Yard or Beaumont) 1962 NC460

BEDLINGTON F Five Quarter 1956 NC294 (OR BOMARSUND) Five Quarter 1956 NC322 Low Main 1959 NC322 Yard 1962 NC433 Bensham 1964 NC525 Bensham 1959 NC322 Bensham 1962 NC457 Top Main (High Main) 1965 NC537 Bottom Plessey 1965 NC540 Plessey 1959 NC322 Plessey 1961 NC4 10 Harvey 1938 12398 Harvey 1953 NC89 Harvey 1963 NC493 Beaumont 1968 NC607 Blake 1949 14936 Five Quarter 1956 NC322

BESSIE GREY NEW Hutton 1937 12068

BOTHAL PARK High Main 1952 NC7 Main 1952 NC7 Yard 1961 NC443

113 Five Quarter 1961 NC444 Low Main 1961 NC445 Bensham 1961 NC446

CAMBOIS Low Main 1925 8568 Low Main 1968 8568 Five Quarter (Brass Thill, Little) Plessey 1968 NC627 Bottom Plessey 1968 NC628 Yard 1962 NC503 Unnamed (?Low Main) NC64 Besham 1953 NC8 1

CATCHBURN Unnamed 1908 5532 Busty 1917 6794 Probably Beaumont 1921 7353

CHOPPINGTON A Low Main 1934 1 1223 Low Main 1942 13120 Yard 1939 12545 Bensham 1939 12546 Bensham 1959 NC345 Plessey 1939 12547 Plessey 1962 NC473 Five Quarter 1944 13570 Five Quarter 1964 NC522 Top Busty 1966 NC547 Beaumont 1966 NC555 Five Quarter 1956 NC264 Five Quarter 1959 NC345 Denton Low Main 1945 13824 Three Quarter 1953 NC147 Three Quarter 1956 NC3 15 Three Quarter 1957 NC316 Three Quarter 1963 NC527 Top Busty 1956 NC3 15 Top Busty 1966 NC545 One Foot Ten Inches 1956 NC3 15 Harvey 1956 NC3 15 Bandy 1957 NC316 Brockwell 1956 NC3 15 Brockwell 1957 NC316 Beaumont 1957 NC3 16 Beaumont/Harvey 1965 NC543 Beaumont/Harvey 1966 NC555 Lower Busty 1957 NC316 Lower Busty 1959 NC349 Lower Busty 1961 NC526

CHOPPINGTON B Yard 1935 11470 (HIGH) Yard 1952 11470 Bensham 1939 12548 Bensham 1959 NC345

114 Low Main 1949 14937 Low Main (or Brass NC724 Thill) High Main 1952 NClO Plessey 1952 NC3 1 Plessey 1962 NC473 Top Busty 1952 NC32 Top Busty 1966 NC547 Lower Busty 1959 NC349 Top Main 1953 NC88 Bandy 1966 NC546 Five Quarter 1959 NC345 Five Quarter 1964 NC522 Bensham 1959 NC345 Beaumont 1965 NC543

CHOPPINGTON NORTH Three Feet 13915 Six and a Half Feet 13915

CLIFTON Beaumont 1899 3984

CLIFTON WEST Brockwell 1947 14248 Victoria 1947 14248 Beaumont 1929 9848

COTTINGWOOD WEST Victoria 1918 6846 Brockwell 1918 6846

COWPEN Yard (High Main) R.361 Low Main R.361 Low Main 1904 8567 Low Main 1939 8567 Main R.36 1 Yard 1928 9900 Yard 1942 9900 Unnamed R.361 High Main 1939 12630 Plessey 1942 13157 Bensham 1941 13336 Five Quarter 1941 13336 Beaumont 1946 14063

EWART HILL High Main 1954 NC694 Grey (Main F) 1954 NC694

HARTFORD Five Quarter 1939 12554 Five Quarter 1961 NC402 Low Main 1939 12554 Yard 1940 12649 Plessey 1946 14170 Yard 1961 NC399 Bensham 1961 NC404 High Main 1961 NC400

115 HEPSCOTT Low Main Barmoor 1911 5741 Barmoor 1924 8815 Splint 191 1 5741 Splint 1924 8815 Bottom 191 1 5741 Little 1924 8815

. _. BEBSIDE Hartley R.387A (HORTON GRANGE) Yard R.387A Yard 1945 13948 Bensham 1945 85648 Bensham 1961 NC398 Low Main 1925 8564 Yard 1925 8564 Yard 1945 13948 Harvey 1925 8564 Stone 1925 8564 Stone (Bottom NC450 Benshaw) Main 1925 8564 Plessey 1925 8564 High Main 1906 8565 High Main 1942 13348 Top Main 1960 NC370 Bottom Main 1960 NC370 Top Five Quarter (Top Brass Thill) 1957 NC304 Top Five Quarter (Top Brass Thill) 1962 NC304 Five Quarter 1925 8564 Moorland 1942 13348 Lower Main 1961 NC398

N69NW HOWBURN Little Wonder 1921 7377 Little Wonder 1922 7695 Bandy 1922 7695 Nineteen Inch 1929 987 1 Twenty One Inch 1929 987 1 Harvey 1929 987 1

ISABELLA (COWPEN Yard(HighMain) R.361 ISAB ELLA) Low Main Low ISABELLA) R.361 Low Main 1904 8567 Main R.36 1 Unnamed R.361 Yard 1928 9900 Yard 1942 9900 Plessey 1942 13157 Bensham 1962 NC478 High Main 1966 NC548 Five Quarter (Stone Coal) 1966 NC549 Plessey 1966 NC550

116 LILLY (Splint) Top 1926 859 1

LONGHIRST High Main 1896 3472 High Main 1904 4736 Main 1896 3472 Grey (Main) 1904 4736 Yard 1896 3472 Yard 1904 4736 Five Quarter 1961 NC448

LONGHIRST DRIFT Diamond 1965 NC528 LowMain (Brass Thill) 1967 NC590 Middle Main Middle 1969 NC6 1 3 Bentinck 1969 NC6 14 Plessey 1969 NC615

TopBeaumont (Top Harvey) -, 1969 NC6 16 Top Busty 1969 NC6 17

LONGHIRSTGRANGE Plessey 1901 4304 Denton Low Main 1953 NC107 Low Main 1954 NC220 Low Main 1908 8569 Plessey 1969 NC630 Bottom Plessey 1969 NC630

MORPETH BANKS Unnamed R.389D

MORPETH MOOR Old Man 1909 533 Old Man 1917 674 Brockwell 1917 674 Little 1917 674 Low Main 1917 674 Bandy 1917 674

NETHERTON (OR Unnamed R.357D HARTLEY WEST) Yard R.357D Yard 1956 NC263 (or 294?)' Five Quarter d879 1063 Five Quarter (Top Low Main) 1910 NC711 Low Main 4879 1063 Main 1 1324 Plessey 1964 NC509 Top Busty 1970 NC634 Bottom Busty 1974 NC665 Bensham 4879 1063 Stone 1942 13349 Beaumont 1966 NC55 1 Three Quarter 1974 NC666 Victoria 1974 NC667

117 NETHERTON HALL Five Quarters 1892 3087 Low Main 1943 11723 Plessey 1943 13573 Low Main 1936 11723

NEWBIGGIN Plessey 1950 NC2 Plessey 1967 NC588 New Main (Diamond) 1954 NC203 Main 1966 NC572 Yard 1948 NC586 Yard 1958 nc323 Bensham 1932 10809 Bensham 1967 NC587 Bottom Plessey 1964 NC589 Low Main 1933 11041 Low Main 1938 12319 Low Main 1953 NC 104 Low Main 1958 NC323 Five Quarter 1933 11041 Five Quarter 1949 14950 Five Quarter 1958 NC323 High Main 1953 NC103 Unnamed 1953 NC103 Low Main 1953 NC157

NEWSHAM (DELAVAL NEW) Low Main 1893 8566 Bensham 1930 10397 Bensham 1955 NC246 Beaumont 1930 10397 Plessey 1930 10397 Stone 1930 10397 Stone 1938 10397 Low Main 1930 10397 Low Main 1938 10397 YardMain 1930 10397 YardMain 1938 10397 Main 1955 NC244 High Main 1955 NC245

NORTH SEATON New Main (Diamond) 1960 NC382 Low Main 1960 NC383 Five Quarter 1960 NC383 Yard 1941 NC406 Bottom Main 1960 NC407 Five Quarter (Brass Thill) 1961 NC408 Top Main 1961 NC409 Five Quarter 1964 NC522 Plessey 1962 NC473 Beaumont 1966 NC555 Low Main 1919 8570 Plessey 1949 14453

118 PARK HOUSE Bandy 1902 434 1 Little 1912 5954 Top (Old Man) 1912 5954 Splint 1931 10434

PEGSWOOD Five Quarter 1930 10272 Five Quarter 1944 13766 Five Quarter 1969 NC6 1 8 Five Quarter 1969 NC611 Bensham 1930 10272 Bensham 1964 NC537 Beaumont 1942 13121 Brockwell 1949 1494 Yard (Low Main) NC92 Bentinck 1954 NC25 1 Bottom Busty 1966 NC584 Bottom Plessey 1968 NC605 Low Main 1969 NC6 19 Three Quarter 1956 NC73 1 Pegswood Harvey 1969 NC620 Plessey 1968 NC604

WOODHORN Low Main 1953 nc157 Yard 1966 NC566 Main 1968 NC602 Main 1968 NC602 High Main 1970 NC643 Plessey 1981 NC7 17 Low Main 1958 NC323 Yard 1958 NC323 Yard 1966 NC566 Five Quarter 1958 NC323 High Main 1937 121 13 Plessey 1937 121 13 Diamond 1939 12429 Bottom Main 1968 NC603 Ashing ton 1970 NC642 Top Yard 1970 NC645 Hutton 1970 NC646 Hutton 1977 NC646

119